It's Timetable Time

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Monday, November 17, 2008

It's a bit late and somewhat immaterial at this point, but it's still worth observing that President Bush today did something he said he'd never do: Agree to a firm timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq.

Peter Graff writes for Reuters: "Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari and U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker signed a long-awaited accord on Monday requiring Washington to withdraw its forces within three years.

"The signing ceremony put a formal end to months of negotiations over the pact on the future of the U.S. presence, which the Iraqi government approved on Sunday. The pact must still be passed in the Iraqi parliament, but the government is confident it will achieve this by the end of the month. . . .

"[T]he main focus for Iraqis is the pact at last committing the United States to withdraw a force that now numbers about 150,000 by Dec. 31, 2011, a firm date that reflects the growing confidence of Iraq's government as violence has eased.

"Iraqi leaders consider the date to be a major negotiating victory after the administration of outgoing President George W. Bush long vowed not to accept a firm timetable. . . .

(More here.)