Nouri al-MalikiIraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki today dismissed calls for a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Speaking from Tokyo, where Mr. al-Maliki was signing reconstruction loans, the Iraqi leader said that withdrawal of troops depends on "how confident we are in the handover process".
al-Maliki's statement comes as battles raged through central Baghdad today, resulting in the wounding of 16 U.S. soldiers. The statement is also in response to demonstrations Monday by Shiite protestors against the presence of U.S. troops. These rallies were sponsored by radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
I do not believe that a timetable is the right way to approach the situation in Iraq. I have said it before, but here goes again. A timetable merely gives the terrorists a benchmark to try to beat. They will step up attacks on U.S. and Iraqi troops in an attempt to force U.S. troops to withdraw early. Also, though there is progress, Iraqi troops are not prepared to handle the security of their country yet. If we leave now, chaos will reign, and Iraq will become another Vietnam.
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