Did they talk about the sofa? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

dc_dux · 11-10-2008, 02:15 PM

No...not the Oval Office sofa.

The Status of Forces Agreement (sofa) between the US and Iraq that expires at the end of the year, making the US occupation effectively illegal after Dec. 31.

It must have come up in the discussions between Bush and Obama today.

Here's where it stands...Bush is trying to ram a new agreement through before he leaves office and he would like to do so w/o any Congressional approval of the final agreement.

The latest draft includes withdrawal timetables...all US troops out of Iraqi cities by next July and out of the country by 2011...but it has conditions.

The Iraqis are balking....most dont like the conditions and a small number (primarily the Kurds) would like a longer US presence...and unlike the US approval process, the Iraqis require parliamentary approval.

I'm left wondering how much Bush is saying to Obama..."back off...this is my deal to complete" and if Obama pushed back.

And what might the Iraqis prefer....the Bush deal or stalling until they can cut a deal with Obama?

My guess is that the Iraqis have had enough of Bush...but will they stand up to him one last time?

I'm guessing we will see a temporary (3 month) extension of the current agreement and Obama will bring a new agreement to the Congress to give it the proper oversight.

Are we closer to an end to the quagmire of Iraq? One can only hope.

murp0434 · 11-10-2008, 05:15 PM

I'm not sure if they discussed it or not, but there is no way that even an agreement such as the SOFA would convince hawks that the time is now to withdraw. If the agreement expires at the end of the year, well then by god I guess we're going to have to extend the agreement. Until Obama formally comes into power there'll be no major strategy/policy changes in Iraq.

Your prognosis of a temporary extension is a best-case scenario...the flipside would be Bush getting us into some kind of commitment requiring us to stay past his term...I don't put it past him. I just wish he would go away already. Us invading Vietnam oops I mean Iraq was a huge mistake and hopefully our next president will be strong enough to stand tall and admit that mistake to the world. I suppose we shall see...

ASU2003 · 11-11-2008, 09:22 PM

I'm curious about how these timetables will work if things get worse as we are removing troops from the cities/country?

11-10-2008, 02:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
dc_dux Location: Washington DC	Did they talk about the sofa? No...not the Oval Office sofa. The Status of Forces Agreement (sofa) between the US and Iraq that expires at the end of the year, making the US occupation effectively illegal after Dec. 31. It must have come up in the discussions between Bush and Obama today. Here's where it stands...Bush is trying to ram a new agreement through before he leaves office and he would like to do so w/o any Congressional approval of the final agreement. The latest draft includes withdrawal timetables...all US troops out of Iraqi cities by next July and out of the country by 2011...but it has conditions. The Iraqis are balking....most dont like the conditions and a small number (primarily the Kurds) would like a longer US presence...and unlike the US approval process, the Iraqis require parliamentary approval. I'm left wondering how much Bush is saying to Obama..."back off...this is my deal to complete" and if Obama pushed back. And what might the Iraqis prefer....the Bush deal or stalling until they can cut a deal with Obama? My guess is that the Iraqis have had enough of Bush...but will they stand up to him one last time? I'm guessing we will see a temporary (3 month) extension of the current agreement and Obama will bring a new agreement to the Congress to give it the proper oversight. Are we closer to an end to the quagmire of Iraq? One can only hope. __________________ "The perfect is the enemy of the good." ~ Voltaire

11-10-2008, 05:15 PM	#2 (permalink)
murp0434 Crazy Location: East Texas	I'm not sure if they discussed it or not, but there is no way that even an agreement such as the SOFA would convince hawks that the time is now to withdraw. If the agreement expires at the end of the year, well then by god I guess we're going to have to extend the agreement. Until Obama formally comes into power there'll be no major strategy/policy changes in Iraq. Your prognosis of a temporary extension is a best-case scenario...the flipside would be Bush getting us into some kind of commitment requiring us to stay past his term...I don't put it past him. I just wish he would go away already. Us invading Vietnam oops I mean Iraq was a huge mistake and hopefully our next president will be strong enough to stand tall and admit that mistake to the world. I suppose we shall see... __________________ These are the good old days. How did I become upright?

11-11-2008, 09:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
ASU2003 immoral minority Location: Back in Ohio	I'm curious about how these timetables will work if things get worse as we are removing troops from the cities/country?