Juan Cole notes how the sudden Iraqi interest in timetables for a U.S. withdrawal doesn’t bode too well for Mr. McCain:

McCain always had a difficult case to make to the American people about why they needed to expend blood and treasure to stay in Iraq. McCain maintains that it is for their own safety, but polling shows that most people do not buy that argument. Now McCain has to argue for keeping the troops there even though the Iraqi people and even the pro-American prime minister do not want them there.

That position will sound like colonialism to many Americans– an expensive, sanguinary colonialism that they have to pay for.

But it is colonialism and always was. Was always meant to be - despite our sanctimonious statements that all we want was freedom and peace and justice for the Iraqi people. We, the occupying power, will be the judge of all three - it’s not even for the Iraqis themselves to decide when any of those “goals” are attained, we’ll decide that too.

In other words, sure - you can have your country back when we’re good and ready to give it to you. And even then, you’re going to have tens of thousands of U.S. troops stationed within it. Get used to it, because that’s the only “freedom” Iraqis are going to get.