What Iraq did for Obama

Who wins in the Iraq-U.S. pact for U.S. troops to leave by 2012?

Iraq’s cabinet approved a U.S. status of forces agreement (SOFA) under which U.S. forces will be out of cities and towns by next summer, said Kevin Drum in Mother Jones online, and out of Iraq by the end of 2011. The Iraqi Parliament will probably ratify the deal fairly quickly. This is good for Iraq, good for President Bush—Barack Obama would have negotiated a quicker withdrawal—and good for Obama, as it makes withdrawal “into a bipartisan agreement.”

If Obama does benefit, said Paul Mirengoff in Power Line, it’ll be “thanks to the policies McCain insisted upon, Bush implemented, and Obama opposed.” Obama could still mess it up by withdrawing all troops in 16 months, as he has pledged, rather than as “the situation on the ground” dictates. But “if Obama has any sense, and I think he does,” he won’t do that.

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