McCain: Withdrawal from Iraq in 16 months is "a pretty good timetable"

In an interview on CNN today -- which the DNC is passing around -- McCain said that withdrawal from Iraq in 16 months is "a pretty good timetable."

That answer came when McCain was asked about Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki's earlier claim to Der Spiegel that Obama's 16-month plan "would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes."

Of course, McCain did stress that such a withdrawal would "have to be based on conditions on the ground." But calling 16 months a "good timetable" is something McCain hasn't said before -- and probably never would have said a week ago.

The transcript:
BLITZER: What if Maliki persists? You're president and he says he wants US troops out and he wants them out, let's say in a year or two years or 16 months or whatever. What do you do? Do you listen to the prime minister?

MCCAIN: He won't. He won't. He won't. Because it has to be condition-based.

BLITZER: How do you know?

MCCAIN: Because I know him. And I know him very well. And I know the other leaders. And I know -- I've been there eight times, as you know. I know them very, very well.

BLITZER: So why do you think he said that 16 months is basically a pretty good timetable?

MCCAIN: He said it's a pretty good timetable based on conditions on the ground. I think it's a pretty good timetable, as we should -- or horizons for withdrawal. But they have to be based on conditions on the ground.

Last week McCain was slamming Obama for proposing the 16 month solution that Maliki agreed with...And now...he's...agreeing with it too?

I am utterly confused.

firstread.msnbc.msn.com...

reply to post by evanmontegarde


i think they key word whenever this topic is brought up is 16 months from what date?

there is never an official date of ok, 16 months from now, so in actuality there are just making specualations and giving people what theyd like to hear

Personally - im tired of our troops and this "timetable" being a pawn in the strategy of both candidates.

Neither one of them are going to withdraw the troops - because Bush has already screwed things up to the point we HAVE to stay there.

Just my 2 cents

Originally posted by MurderCityDevil
there is never an official date of ok, 16 months from now,

Yes, there is. 16 months from when he takes office in Jan 1009. That would be summer of 2010. He has said it many times.

Immediately upon taking office, Obama will give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new mission in Iraq: ending the war. The removal of our troops will be responsible and phased, directed by military commanders on the ground and done in consultation with the Iraqi government. Military experts believe we can safely redeploy combat brigades from Iraq at a pace of 1 to 2 brigades a month that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 – more than 7 years after the war began.

BarackaObama.com

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

Originally posted by MurderCityDevil
there is never an official date of ok, 16 months from now,

Yes, there is. 16 months from when he takes office in Jan 1009. That would be summer of 2010. He has said it many times.

Immediately upon taking office, Obama will give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new mission in Iraq: ending the war. The removal of our troops will be responsible and phased, directed by military commanders on the ground and done in consultation with the Iraqi government. Military experts believe we can safely redeploy combat brigades from Iraq at a pace of 1 to 2 brigades a month that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 – more than 7 years after the war began.

BarackaObama.com

I could have sworn his website used to say that he would bring the troops home. Now it says he will bring them out of Iraq and end the war, meaning the Iraq war. Isn't that war almost done with anyway?

I'm wondering if he has plans to send the troops into Afghanistan.

McCain has said it before, but he also added by saying "Depending on the situation on the ground".

The thing with Obama is he has no conditions for the withdraw, apart from just getting it done. This itself will create big issues.


Wiggin is right though, neither one of em is going to withdraw.

I like Obama's timetable better. When Iraq knows the free ride is over, things will improve faster. And if goes to hell, it was already on the way. We held it back from the precipice, but look at history. Without total war, no empire can change it. Leave "strategic fuel depots" but no more policing the juvenile religious fanatics.

And if he wins, the McCain administration can seize oil fields for our troubles.
I think Kurd/Sunni/Shia/USA is an equitable distribution. The oil will pay for the war, right ? That would whip the country into a fever. Pump the oil straight into gulf refineries for US consumption. We'd need to expand capacity of course. Use our carrier battle groups to escort the tankers. $1.75 gallon gas again.