Iraqis: Agreement near on withdrawal timeline

If true, this is a significant event, and not only because of the impact it is likely to have on the U.S. presidential campaign. McCain is sure to claim it as a victory for 'his' surge; Obama is sure to claim it as another demonstration of his superior judgment.

We'll see how that all plays out, but the big news is that there may truly be light at the end of the tunnel. This has been our longest war since Vietnam, and it has been enormously costly in lives (on all sides), money, U.S. standing, and damage to our democracy.

Regardless of how the domestic politics play out, an end to all this would be something we all should be glad for,

clipped from apnews.myway.com BAGHDAD (AP) - Two Iraqi officials say the U.S. and Iraq are close to a deal under which all American combat troops would leave by October 2010 with remaining U.S. forces gone about three years later. A U.S. official in Washington acknowledges progress has been made on the timelines for a U.S. departure but offered no firm date. Another U.S. official strongly suggested the 2010 date may be too ambitious. A timetable is part of a security agreement being negotiated by U.S. and Iraqi officials. Both sides stress the deal is not final and could fall apart over the issue of legal immunity for American troops. One of the U.S. officials said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had a long and "very difficult" telephone conversation Wednesday in which she pressed the Iraqi leader for more flexibility, particularly on immunity.