TIMELINE. TIMETABLE, TIME HORIZON. WHATEVER. DID SOMEONE GET TO IRAQI PM?

Everyone from George Bush to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has got a different spin on the the word "time."

Last week the Iraqi PM said he wanted a "timeline" for U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq.

Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama wants a "timetable."

And now the Bush administration is calling for a "time horizon."

It appears as though all these leaders and prospective leaders have too much "time" on their hands.

Der Spiegel quoted the Iraqi PM as saying he agreed with Obama's 16-month plan for troop withdrawals from Iraq, but now al-Maliki is saying he was misunderstood.

Could it be that someone from the Bush White House told the puppet leader of Iraq to get back in line with President Bush or face having funding cut off?

It sure looks like it.

COMMENTARY BY BILL CORCORAN, EDITOR OF CORKSPHERE


Iraqi PM denies supporting Obama pullout proposal

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki did not back the plan of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to pullout American forces from Iraq and his comments to a German magazine on the issue were misunderstood, the government's spokesman said on Sunday.

According to Ali al-Dabbagh, Maliki's remarks to Der Spiegel were translated incorrectly. The German magazine said on Saturday that the Iraqi leader endorsed Obama's proposal that American soldiers should leave Iraq within 16 months. The interview was released on Saturday.

"U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right time frame for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes," Der Spiegel quoted Maliki as saying.

According to Reuters, Dabbagh conveyed statements by Maliki or any other member of the government should not be seen as support for any U.S. presidential candidate.

Maliki's remarks were published a day after the White House said he and U.S. President George W. Bush had agreed that a security agreement currently being negotiated between them should include a "time horizon" for withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)