For the majority of Americans who want American troops out of Iraq within the next year, Thursday's news of a preliminary agreement between the U.S. and Iraq is a major victory.
It may be an even greater victory for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, announced Thursday a preliminary agreement to withdraw American forces from Iraqi cities by next June. Withdrawals would be linked to the achievement of undisclosed security milestones.
Making a big assumption that those milestones are met and troops begin to withdraw, it will mark a monumental turn in the war. It's a startling reversal for an administration and president that have insisted for years that setting any schedule for U.S. troops to leave would be dangerous and an admission of defeat.
The Bush administration (and Republican presidential candidate John McCain) gained some political cover when the controversial troop "surge" of the past year helped reduce the violence in Iraq. That gives the Iraqi government enough breathing room to now make the political advances necessary to enable the U.S. military to exit without inviting a bloodbath in the country.
Last month, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki advocated for a withdrawal timetable. Now, the pressure - as it should be - is squarely on his government to prove it's capable of establishing order once the U.S. is gone.
Of course, it will not go unmentioned (nor should it) that Thursday's developments follow an exit strategy that Obama has pushed throughout the campaign - and McCain and Bush have relentlessly criticized. McCain has accused Obama of putting political gain ahead of "winning" a war with his proposals of troop withdrawal timelines. He's questioned Obama's "judgment." Some even suggest that McCain has been questioning Obama's patriotism.
But an agreement with Iraq to set a timetable for troop withdrawal would seem to validate Obama's judgment and - at least on this matter - end the questioning of his patriotism ... unless critics are prepared to suggest the president and administration also are unpatriotic.
This is a big political victory for the Illinois senator, who lately has really needed one.
It may be an even greater victory for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, announced Thursday a preliminary agreement to withdraw American forces from Iraqi cities by next June. Withdrawals would be linked to the achievement of undisclosed security milestones.
Making a big assumption that those milestones are met and troops begin to withdraw, it will mark a monumental turn in the war. It's a startling reversal for an administration and president that have insisted for years that setting any schedule for U.S. troops to leave would be dangerous and an admission of defeat.
The Bush administration (and Republican presidential candidate John McCain) gained some political cover when the controversial troop "surge" of the past year helped reduce the violence in Iraq. That gives the Iraqi government enough breathing room to now make the political advances necessary to enable the U.S. military to exit without inviting a bloodbath in the country.
Last month, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki advocated for a withdrawal timetable. Now, the pressure - as it should be - is squarely on his government to prove it's capable of establishing order once the U.S. is gone.
Of course, it will not go unmentioned (nor should it) that Thursday's developments follow an exit strategy that Obama has pushed throughout the campaign - and McCain and Bush have relentlessly criticized. McCain has accused Obama of putting political gain ahead of "winning" a war with his proposals of troop withdrawal timelines. He's questioned Obama's "judgment." Some even suggest that McCain has been questioning Obama's patriotism.
But an agreement with Iraq to set a timetable for troop withdrawal would seem to validate Obama's judgment and - at least on this matter - end the questioning of his patriotism ... unless critics are prepared to suggest the president and administration also are unpatriotic.
This is a big political victory for the Illinois senator, who lately has really needed one.
