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Oh good! You're making progress. At least you're posting something relevant now. However, let's focus on the important and relevant bits shall we? You still won't cite the actual text?
On November 16th, Iraq's Cabinet approved the agreement, which cited the end of 2009 for the pull out of US troops from Iraqi cities. On November 27th, the Iraqi Parliament ratified SOFA, establishing that Coalition combat forces will withdraw from Iraqi cities by June 30th, 2009, and will be completely out of Iraq by December 31st, 2011, but allowing for further negotiation if the Iraqi Prime Minister believes Iraq is not stable enough. The pact forbids holding prisoners without criminal charges, and limits searches of homes and buildings. Coalition forces are subject to Iraqi law if they commit major and premeditated crimes while off-duty and off-base. A referendum of Iraqis will be held in mid-2009 on the pact, which may require Coalition forces to leave by the middle of 2010. Parliament also passed another U.S.-Iraqi bilateral pact called the Strategic Framework Agreement, aimed at ensuring minority Sunni interests and constitutional rights.
Now, I put the black in bold because that's what is written on the agreement's text. The exact withdrawal date was stated in the agreement to be December 31st, 2011. Whether the Bush administration expected or didn't expect something is irrelevant. What was signed by all parties had the US to a withdrawal date of December 31st, 2011. Obama followed that agreement to the letter and now you're... attacking him for following the Republican policy on the matter.
Now, as far as the red part goes, can you show us what part of the agreement states that negotiations were necessary for the agreement to be carried out? I've already posted the link for the text but here it is in case you missed it:
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/122074.pdf
1. All the United States Forces shall withdraw from all Iraqi territory no
later than December 31, 2011.
2. All United States combat forces shall withdraw from Iraqi cities,
villages, and localities no later than the time at which Iraqi Security Forces
assume full responsibility for security in an Iraqi province, provided that
such withdrawal is completed no later than June 30, 2009.
3. United States combat forces withdrawn pursuant to paragraph 2 above
shall be stationed in the agreed facilities and areas outside cities, villages,
and localities to be designated by the JMOCC before the date established in
paragraph 2 above.
4. The United States recognizes the sovereign right of the Government of
Iraq to request the departure of the United States Forces from Iraq at any
time The Government of Iraq recognizes the sovereign right of the United
States to withdraw the United States Forces from Iraq at any time.
5. The Parties agree to establish mechanisms and arrangements to reduce
the number of the United States Forces during the periods of time that have
been determined, and they shall agree on the locations where the United
States Forces will be present.
Those are the 5 points agreed upon. Where is the further negotiations clause? Here is what you stated:
Grant said:the agreement called for further negotiations.
Where Grant? Where did the agreement call for further negotiations? Are we just going by word of mouth from anonymous sources or what's in the text? Well Grant, if we're going by what's in the text, the Bush administration signed a withdrawal agreement and concessions were made by both sides to reach it. There was no precondition or statement within the agreement that pushed for further negotiations. It just isn't there. Now, you could have saved yourself this embarrassment if you had simply been honest about the whole thing but instead you doubled down on your lie. Why?
Here is what happened when the US tried to negotiate a longer stay:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.–I...greement#December_14.2C_2008_press_conference
As reported on Saturday, October 15, 2011, the Obama Administration proceeded with the plan to withdraw American forces from Iraq (barring some last-minute move in the Iraqi parliament when they returned from a break in late November 2011 shortly before the end-of-the-year withdrawal date) because of concerns that they would not have be given immunity from Iraqi courts, a concern for American commanders in the field who also had to worry about the Sadrist response should troops stay and the general state of Iraq's readiness for transfer of power.[68]
So Obama followed the advice of military commanders on the battlefield, he followed the Republican policy and you're still harping on him for it. You're looking very much like the partisan hack you pretend you're not by hiding the "Independent" label, Mr. Grant.
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