Iraqi PM Maliki Endorses Obama Withdrawal Plan

This is fairly momentous news:

In an interview with Der Spiegel released on Saturday, Maliki said he wanted U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq as soon as possible.

"U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes."

It is the first time he has backed the withdrawal timetable put forward by Obama, who is visiting Afghanistan and us set to go to Iraq as part of a tour of Europe and the Middle East.

Obama has called for a shift away from a "single-minded" focus on Iraq and wants to pull out troops within 16 months, instead adding U.S. soldiers to Afghanistan.

Asked if he supported Obama's ideas more than those of John McCain, Republican presidential hopeful, Maliki said he did not want to recommend who people should vote for.

"Whoever is thinking about the shorter term is closer to reality. Artificially extending the stay of U.S. troops would cause problems."

This really fucks up McCain's plan, which in case you forgot goes something like this:



In fact, John McCain has called Obama's 16-month withdrawal plan "surrender". Yet how can it be surrender when the democratically elected government in Iraq - our allies - want us to go?

Some folks think that McCain might benefit from such news, since it will allow him to take the Iraq issue off the table. But I hold a starkly different view. Foreign policy is the one area where McCain is currently beating Obama. If foreign policy is your bread and butter, you do not want peace in the world, you do not want agreement. You want there to be chaos, and you want voters to turn to the big military guy (you) once they are in that voting booth.

And honestly -- if the two candidates were in agreement on Iraq over withdrawal, I just don't see how it would remain a top issue for voters. Folks would turn to the economy and health care and decide who is better on that front. Since that is Obama's strong point, McCain loses.

It also doesn't help McCain that Obama's long-held positions on Iraq and Afghanistan are turning out to be correct, while McCain's are turning out to be dead wrong. It's starting to look like McCain's decades of experience haven't helped his judgment one bit.

[UPDATE]:
Here are some extended quotes from the Der Spiegel interview:

SPIEGEL: Germany, after World War II, was also liberated from a tyrant by a US-led coalition. That was 63 years ago, and today there are still American military bases and soldiers in Germany. How do you feel about this model?

Maliki: Iraq can learn from Germany's experiences, but the situation is not truly comparable. Back then Germany waged a war that changed the world. Today, we in Iraq want to establish a timeframe for the withdrawal of international troops -- and it should be short. At the same time, we would like to see the establishment of a long-term strategic treaty with the United States, which would govern the basic aspects of our economic and cultural relations. However, I wish to re-emphasize that our security agreement should remain in effect in the short term.....

SPIEGEL: Would you hazard a prediction as to when most of the US troops will finally leave Iraq?

Maliki: As soon as possible, as far as we're concerned. U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes.

SPIEGEL: Is this an endorsement for the US presidential election in November? Does Obama, who has no military background, ultimately have a better understanding of Iraq than war hero John McCain?

Maliki: Those who operate on the premise of short time periods in Iraq today are being more realistic. Artificially prolonging the tenure of US troops in Iraq would cause problems. Of course, this is by no means an election endorsement. Who they choose as their president is the Americans' business. But it's the business of Iraqis to say what they want. And that's where the people and the government are in general agreement: The tenure of the coalition troops in Iraq should be limited.

Also, Maliki doesn't believe that McCain's "surge" should get much credit for the reduction of violence in Iraq:

SPIEGEL: In your opinion, which factor has contributed most to bringing calm to the situation in the country?

Maliki: There are many factors, but I see them in the following order. First, there is the political rapprochement we have managed to achieve in central Iraq. This has enabled us, above all, to pull the plug on al-Qaida. Second, there is the progress being made by our security forces. Third, there is the deep sense of abhorrence with which the population has reacted to the atrocities of al-Qaida and the militias. Finally, of course, there is the economic recovery.

I'm sure the Bush administration will use all possible pressure to force Maliki to withdraw/clarify his remarks. But these can't help but be devastating to McCain's position.