Iraq May "Set Timetable" On US Withdraw

I tend to think it's only Nouri al-Maliki flexing his newly formed muscles and feeling his oats. Like a teenager who receives his first paycheck and tells his dad he doesn't need him anymore, Maliki doesn't seem to understand just how fresh his victories are and how Iran will not go away tomorrow or next year. Ahmadinejad will rekindle the insurgency and stoke the Shia's fires.

On the west he will have to deal with the Saudis who don't want a stronger Iran and will fight the Iranians through proxies. In other words, they need to have a sizable contingent of US forces in-country for the foreseeable future.

Again, it's only bluster and the talk that we will be forced out is the Iraqi's way of getting better terms for the status of forces agreement being debated as we speak.