Thread: Albright opposes Iraq pullout deadline

Albright opposes Iraq pullout deadline

Backs Obama's latest stance on war

Nicholas Kralev
Friday, October 17, 2008


Former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright said Thursday the Iraq war has created damaging consequences for U.S. diplomacy, but Washington should not agree to a specific deadline for withdrawing troops in the midst of conflict - something proposed last year by the candidate she now supports, Sen. Barack Obama.

"I never was for a date certain," Mrs. Albright told editors and reporters at The Washington Times. "In Bosnia, we gave a date certain, and then we couldn't get out and that undercut our credibility."

She was referring to the pullout of 20,000 U.S. troops from the war-torn Balkans. The troops were sent to help enforce the 1995 Dayton peace accords that ended the Bosnia war, following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, but stayed beyond a 1996 deadline initially set by President Clinton.

Mr. Obama has said that he is committed to ending the Iraq war, and that, if elected, he will start working toward that goal on his first day in the White House. He has also said that "the removal of our troops will be responsible and phased."

"Military experts believe we can safely redeploy combat brigades from Iraq at a pace of one to two brigades a month that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 - more than 7 years after the war began," the Obama campaign Web site says.

Mr. Obama's position has changed, however, during the campaign. He was outspoken about setting a withdrawal date during the primaries and voted for legislation that included timelines.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...lout-deadline/

I wonder if deadlines can be given for conflicts where there is daily changing fortunes.

Further, for a conflict that depends on people who are not responsible to the fighting forces and their actions i.e. the Iraqis.

It is true that the situation is far better than when the whole issue started, but even so, the Iraqi govt or its forces has not indicated the confidence that is essential, if the US is to pull out.

At best, since the situation has somewhat become better, a phased withdrawal based on the level of threat to the Iraqi situation can be contemplated.

That will permit a respite to the US forces as also spur the Iraqis to take their own security responsibility a bit more seriously.

Right now, they are enjoying piggy backing the US and allies, since it serves their purpose.

I, however, don't agree with MS Albright, even though she is a brilliant lady, that hanging around more than necessary solves a problem. Had the US hung around in Bosnia, it would have found an albatross around its neck in the same way as one finds Iraq.

It is good to do a surgical strike and hand it over to reliable allies and tinker around from a distance wherein one retains the initiative as also the moral standing.

Kosovo is shaping up and none can accuse the US of any wrong doing and yet there is no doubt that the US still is very much in the game!

That is clever diplomacy.