New Day In Iraq (Again)

The Iraqis have agreed in principle to a June 30, 2009 withdrawal back to US bases and a December 31, 2011 withdrawal date of all US troops, the trick is if the Iraqi Parliament will pass the agreement or not.

The agreement sets June 30, 2009, as the deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from all Iraqi cities and towns, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said.

The date for all troops to leave Iraq will be December 31, 2011, he said.

These dates are "set and fixed" and are "not subject to the circumstances on the ground," he said.

Twenty-seven of the 40 Cabinet members in attendance voted in favor of the agreement, said Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. One minister abstained.

The Cabinet consists of the prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, and 37 other ministers.

The approved draft will be sent to the 275-seat Parliament later Sunday, where it will be put to another vote. "There is great optimism that they will pass it," said Industry Minister Fawzi Hariri.

It's a start...but it still means another threeyears of the Iraq War for Obama. He has every reason now to speed this up as much as possible.