Couple of buts: a practical "but" from Obama, a "wink and a nod" "but" left over from Bush.
... Mr. Obama appeared to leave open the possibility of further negotiations on the question of military trainers. “As I told Prime Minister Maliki, we will continue discussions on how we might help Iraq train and equip its forces — again, just as we offer training and assistance to countries around the world,” he said. “After all, there will be some difficult days ahead for Iraq, and the United States will continue to have an interest in an Iraq that is stable, secure and self-reliant.”
The original status of forces agreement, negotiated in the last days of the Bush administration, called for the withdrawal of all American troops by the end of 2011. But the agreement was reached with a wink-and-nod understanding that a politically palatable way would be found to keep a substantial American troop presence in the country after that date. ...NYT
Good to see Obama get the job done. Almost as good as getting Bush's butt outta sight and mind. Oh, and something else that annoys people around the world as well as many Americans: the heavy-handed military present remaining in Iraq as part of our overbearing embassy in Baghdad.
In the meantime, an agreement is in place to keep more than 150 Defense Department personnel, both military and civilian, in Iraq to secure the American Embassy, manage military sales and carry out standard duties of a defense attaché and office of security cooperation. They will operate under the authority of the State Department, which will be taking the leading role in Iraq.
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Check out the phrasing in the WaPo report:
The Obama administration has decided to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of the year after failing to reach an agreement with the Iraqi government that would have left several thousand troops there for special operations and training.
In the end, agreement on leaving some troops behind became a bridge too far, as Maliki was unable to persuade elements within his own coalition, and the United States was unwilling to make concessions that might have made the U.S. presence more palatable.
But that's several paragraphs into the weeds. Damage done.
