A good time for Bush to declare victory in Iraq
By David Ignatius 27 July 2008 (The Daily Star)
With characteristic self-absorption, Americans are looking at Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's recent statements about a timetable for withdrawal of US troops in terms of our 2008 presidential election. We should see this issue instead in terms of Iraqi history.
Modern Iraq was founded on an abhorrence of foreign military occupation. The national self-image is of resistance to British colonialism. That's why Maliki and most other Iraqi politicians have balked at signing the status-of-forces agreement sought by the Bush administration, and why the Iraqi prime minister is enthusiastic about a timetable for the departure of most US troops by the end of 2010.
A good time for Bush to declare victory in Iraq
