U.S.-Iraq agreement may include target dates for withdrawal — depending on conditions

By John D. McKinnon, Gina Chon and Jay Solomon A U.S. security agreement with Iraq is likely to include target dates for the handover of control and withdrawal of American combat forces—but both sides said the deal would depend on continued improvement in conditions on the ground. The continuing discussions appeared to reflect the influence of Sen. Barack Obama, the expected Democratic nominee for president. He advocates removal of all U.S. combat forces by 16 months after the election, or mid-2010. The Illinois senator traveled to Baghdad over the weekend for talks, giving Iraqi leaders an opportunity to seek new leverage in their negotiations with the Bush administration, as they try to speed up the U.S. departure. The events also opened Sen. Obama to new jabs from his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain. In contrast to Sen.... [read full story]