Obama Might 'Refine' 16-Month Iraq Timeline

Barack Obama today appeared to soften his oft-stated pledge that he would pull troops out of Iraq in 16 months, the New York Times reports. Obama, while inisting that his policies had not changed, said he would consider the opinions of military commanders as he continues to “refine his policies.” The presumptive nominee will make a trip to Iraq later this month.

“My 16-month timeline, if you examine everything that I’ve said, was always premised on making sure that our troops were safe,” Obama said. “My guiding approach continues to be that we’ve got to make sure that our troops are safe and that Iraq is stable.” Republicans were eager to assail the apparent flip-flop. “There appears to be no issue that Barack Obama is not willing to reverse himself on,” said one operative. (More Barack Obama stories.)