Bush drops refusal to talk about Iraq timetable
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President Bush pauses as he speaks with reporters after arriving at Ellington Field Friday, July 18, 2008 in Houston. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush has agreed to set a ‘‘general time horizon’’ for deeper U.S. troop cuts in Iraq, the White House said Friday, a dramatic shift from his once-ironclad unwillingness to talk about any kind of deadlines or timetables.
The announcement 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.
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