WASHINGTON POST: IRAQ PRIME MINISTER WANTS TIMETABLE FOR U.S. TROOP WITHDRAWAL

The Bush administration has long opposed any timetable for a troop withdrawal from Iraq, but Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki wants to set a timetable for U.S. troops to leave Iraq.

How are the Bush administration and FOX NEWS going to "spin" this news?

Iraq's Maliki Suggests Setting Timetable for U.S. WithdrawalU.S. Has Consistently Opposed

Establishing Timeline for Troop Drawdown

By Sudarsan RaghavanWashington Post Foreign Service
Monday, July 7, 2008; 1:22 PM
http://tinyurl.com/6fhpbo

BAGHDAD, July 7 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has for the first time suggested establishing a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, a step that the Bush administration has long opposed.

Maliki floated the idea on Monday during a visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he spoke with Arab ambassadors about a security pact being negotiated to determine the future role of U.S. troops in Iraq. The agreement would replace a U.N. mandate authorizing the presence of the troops, which is set to expire Dec. 31.

Maliki said that Iraq has proposed a short-term memorandum of understanding with the United States instead of trying to forge a longer term pact on an issue that has spawned opposition across Iraq's political divides.

"The current trend is to reach an agreement on a memorandum of understanding either for the departure of the forces or a memorandum of understanding to put a timetable on their withdrawal," Maliki said, according to a statement released Monday by his office that did not specify how long a period a memorandum would cover. "In all cases, the basis for any agreement will be respect for the full sovereignty of Iraq."