Has the Bush Administration done enough to starve off the electoral headache of Iraq witht this latest announcement by the US Ambassador in Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad? According to reports they announced that local security forces should be able to fully "take control" in about 12 to 18 months. Thus, so the line goes, setting a timetable for US withdrawal. Of course, it's what wasn't said that's the important thing rather than what was.
As far as I can tell, nothing was said about what happens if the security situation does not allow for such a handover of control to take place. Interestingly, General Casey did say that "Iran and Syria continue to be decidedly unhelpful by providing support to the different extremists and terrorist groups operating inside Iraq", which I'd say actually leaves the timetable very open-ended.
I'm left thinking that the announcement was for a domestic US audience about to go to the polls, rather than the wider world audience. There certainly seems to have been a lot of hedging. Hopefully we won't start talking about withdrawal formally either, but I dread to think what will happen when Blair goes.
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