Here's the story from 2009 where Obama announced the timetable that he set. If you want to debate, you have to debate the facts and not a set of circumstances that you've invented.
Sorry, I didn't invent anything.
Barack Obama is directly in line with the Bush Plan that was already in place before he left office. The Bush plan was for all troops to be pulled out of Iraq no later than December 2011. Here's a
LINK to an article showing Bush's plan was set to have everyone out by late 2011. Here's even another
link to the notoriously and openly biased Media Matters stating that "Iraq and U.S. agree that all U.S. forces will withdraw 'no later than December 31, 2011.'"
Or, if you wish, you could just go to the very Security Agreement that was signed by Bush and the Iraqi's that set the original time table, found
HERE. You'll also notice a June 2009 pull out date from major Iraqi cities, as well as a comment of the parties agreeing "to establish mechanisms and arrangements to reduce the number of
the United States Forces during the periods of time that have been determined". You know, the very thing Obama is doing to follow this agreement. The notion of leaving around 50,000 troops was even in place during the Bush Administration.
Your own link shows my assertion to be true without "inventing" any circumstances. Note the bar graph on the side showing Obama's plan mirrors the Bush timeline that BUSH signed into agreement of having the number reach 0 by 2011. Note the drawing down of troops between the time of its signing, the 2009 withdrawl from cities, and the actual time of leaving; this is action mandated by the agreement BUSH helped create and signed. Note your source pointing out while its an end of the direct combat mission, that doesn't change the fact that 1/3rd of the troops will still be reamining in Iraq and in roles NOT simply regulated to non-combat related issues (note it speaking about continuing the counterterrorism fight).
Sorry, but the only one "inventing" anything here is you. Inventing the fact that somehow this is Obama's baby when the framework was signed and created by the Bush Administration and Obama is simply following along with the deadlines and edicts it set forth. Indeed, your own link even shows that Obama is NOT meeting his deadline...not the one he initial gave at least....that ALL combat troops would be home 16 months after his inauguration, having had one brigade come home each month from the time of his inaugation.
And what makes me think McCain would do things differently? He said publicly that his plan would honor the agreement that was in place during Bush's last year in office -- which would take troops out by 2012. There's also that famous "hundred years" quote but he wasn't referring to combat troops so I'll give him a pass on that one.
Yes, he did say that he'd honor the Bush agreement...which, by the way, you're mistaken, not by 2012, by the end of 2011. Guess what? That's exactly what Obama is doing. Combat troops are still going to be in Iraq until the end of 2011, however between now and then mechanisms and arrangements to reduce the number of the United States Forces in Iraq are occuring. Hey...that sounds strangely familiar. Oh, that's right, that's what the Bush agreement mandated.
