But Will the Timetable Be Done by the Time of the GOP Convention?
AP report on U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, where Secretary of State Rice is jawing up a storm with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari about gittin' the hell out:
A key part of the U.S.-Iraqi draft agreement envisions the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq's cities by next June 30.
Said Zebari: "This agreement determines the principle provisions, requirements, to regulate the temporary presence and the time horizon, the mission of the U.S. forces."…
In addition to spelling out that U.S. troops would move out of Iraqi cities by next summer, the Iraqi government has pushed for a specific date—most likely the end of 2011—by which all U.S. forces would depart the country. In the meantime, the U.S. troops would be positioned on bases in other parts of the country to make them less visible while still being able to assist Iraqi forces as needed.
There are now about 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.