U.S., Iraq seek troop withdrawal 'time horizon'

WASHINGTON - President Bush and Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki have agreed to set a "general time horizon" for bringing more U.S. troops home from the war, a dramatic shift from the administration's once-ironclad unwillingness to talk about any kind of deadline or timetable.

But Gen. David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, told NBC News Friday that the agreement shouldn't be considered a guarantee that American troops could leave even by the end of next year.

"Again, what (al-Maliki) has said is not a timeline or a timetable. He said time horizons, which, again, we think that there's nothing wrong with talking about time horizons," Petraeus said.

The announcement Friday put Bush in the position of offering to talk with Iraqi leaders about a politically charged issue that he adamantly has refused to discuss with the Democratic-led Congress at home. It also could complicate the presidential campaign arguments of Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, who have staked out starkly opposite stands about the unpopular war.

What's changed? The sharp reduction in violence in Iraq — to the lowest level in four years — has made the country's leaders increasingly confident and more assertive about its sovereignty, giving rise to demands for a specific plan for American forces to leave.

Trying to save negotiations
Iraq has leverage because the White House is struggling to salvage negotiations for a long-term agreement covering U.S. military operations there. The White House said its goal is to conclude that deal by the end of this month.

Bush and al-Maliki talked about the stalled negotiations during a secure video conference on Thursday, agreeing "on a common way forward to conclude these negotiations as soon as possible," a White House statement said.

The two leaders agreed that improvements in security should allow for the negotiations "to include a general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals, such as the resumption of Iraqi security control in their cities and provinces and the further reduction of U.S. combat forces from Iraq," the White House said.

Bush repeatedly has vetoed legislation approved by Congress setting deadlines for American troop cutbacks.

Friday's White House statement was intentionally vague and did not specify what kind of timelines were envisioned. That allows Iraqi officials, who are facing elections in the fall, to argue they are not beholden to Washington or willing to tolerate a permanent military presence in Iraq. For Bush, it points the way toward a legal framework for keeping American troops in Iraq after a U.N. mandate expires on Dec. 31.

"The agreement will look at goal dates for transition of responsibilities and missions," said Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for Bush's National Security Council. "The focus is on the Iraqi assumption of missions, not on what troop levels will be."

Petraeus said the Iraqi government's push for independence from the U.S. is appropriate.

"We should really see that as a sign of progress," Petraeus said. "You know, for a long time, we used to say, 'When is this sovereign government going to make some sovereign decisions?' Well, they have done that."

Petraeus added that he hopes to have a total of 140,000 troops in Iraq by the end of the summer, but that a full withdrawal within 16 months can't be guaranteed.

"It depends on the conditions, depends on the mission set, depends on the enemy," Petraeus said, suggesting that a rise in violence could stall U.S. withdrawal efforts. "The enemy does get a vote and is sometimes an independent variable."

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