Republicans back new withdrawal timetable — The West Ranch Beacon

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During the presidential campaign, John McCain, argued that imposing a deadline to remove combat troops from Iraq was tantamount to accepting defeat in the country. It is a measure of how much has changed over the past six months that he is now one of the chief cheerleaders for Barack Obama’s plan to withdraw US combat troops from Iraq by August 2010.

As the Republican presidential nominee, Mr McCain spent most of last year lambasting his White House rival for planning to “cut and run” from Iraq, even claiming that Mr Obama would “rather lose a war than lose a campaign” reports the Financial Times.

Mr Obama on Friday impressed Republicans by announcing a plan to push back his original timetable by three months, removing all combat troops by August 2010.

The Republicans supported the deadline partly because Mr Obama appeared to have listened to the views of his commanders, but also because a recently agreed security pact between the US and Iraq has itself imposed a deadline for US troops to leave Iraq by the end of 2011.

Other Republicans also expressed support for the plan, which would see roughly 50,000 troops remain in Iraq to train the Iraqi security forces and conduct counter-terrorism operations. But they did so after receiving assurances that Mr Obama would reconsider if violence started to increase.

“The president’s objective to withdraw US combat troops from Iraq is one that we should pray for, plan for, and work toward … However, I remain concerned that the security situation in Iraq is fragile, and we should work to mitigate any risks to our troops and their mission,” said John McHugh, the senior Republican on the House armed services committee, after meeting Mr Obama on Thursday.

“I specifically raised these points with the president this evening, and he assured me that he will revisit his plan if the situation on the ground deteriorates and violence increases,” said Mr McHugh. He added that Mr Obama had assured him that there was a “Plan B” in the event that violence started to erupt again.

If the Republicans were happier than they might have anticipated based on Mr Obama’s campaign rhetoric, the president’s Democratic colleagues appeared less sanguine. However, there was not as much vocal opposition, underscoring how the Iraq war has slipped down the agenda as the US focuses on the economy.

“I’m happy to listen to the secretary of defence and the president, but when they talk about 50,000, that’s a little higher number than I anticipated,” said Harry Reid, the Senate Democratic majority leader.