WaPo: Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama received a red-carpet welcome from Iraq's government Monday, and shortly afterward a government spokesman declared that it would like U.S. combat forces to withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2010 -- about eight months later than Obama's proposal.
Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh made the statement following Obama's meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who has faced pressure in recent days to clarify published comments that he supported Obama's plan to withdraw U.S. combat forces within 16 months if he becomes the U.S. president.
Dabbagh did not provide a specific timetable for a U.S. pullout but declared that they were working "on a real timetable which Iraqis set," and the 2010 deadline was "an Iraqi vision."
"We can't give any schedules or dates, but the Iraqi government sees the suitable date for withdrawal of the U.S. forces is by the end of 2010," Dabbagh told reporters.
Dabbagh said Maliki did not discuss troop withdrawals with Obama. "Senator Barack Obama is a candidate, and we are talking to the administration which is in power," said Dabbagh.
Notice how they've been promptly shuffled back into lockstep with Bush. I'm sure Iraqi leaders and the rest of the world, can't wait til Bush is out of office.
