Coonsey’s World

Iraq’s Prime minister, Al-Maliki and the Iraqi people, have been ready for a ‘timeline’ for Americans to withdraw since back in May of 2006. It’s our government that is demanding that we stay over there.

The following are just a few times I captured where Al_maliki has stated it’s time or will be soon:

MAY 24, 2006

With more training and better equipment “our security forces will be capable of taking over the security portfolio in all Iraqi provinces within one year and a half,” al-Maliki said during the meeting with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

August 27, 2006

Asked when coalition troops might leave, the Iraqi leader was equivocal.

“It could be a year or less, or a few months,” he said. “This has to do with the — with our success of the democratic — or the political process in Iraq, and to have the security agencies to protect this process.”

September 15, 2006

Q: How long should the United States maintain the current level of troops in Iraq?

A: This is related to the success of the Iraqi security forces and their ability to control the situation. I think it’s in America’s interest, so they can start leaving sooner rather than later, to hand over responsibility to Iraqi security forces. And put a lot of emphasis on and increase the speed of building our security forces.

If we are successful in building our security forces, and making them capable of controlling the situation, then it’s only a matter of months before they can start leaving and freeing themselves from this burden.

July 15, 2007

The Prime Minister stated that it would take time and effort to accomplish the political reforms that Washington recommended considering the natural turmoil in the country. On the subject of the Iraqi military Al-Maliki expressed his belief that his military could conduct military operations without U.S forces and that “U.S Troops could leave anytime they wanted” saying if necessary Iraqi police and soldiers would replace the U.S troops on the front lines.

July 19,2008

“U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes.”