The New York Times’ Stephen Farrell lays out what could be the biggest foreign policy story of the year: the Bush administration has agreed with Iraqi officials to remove all U.S. troops from Iraq cities and villages by next June and all troops, period, by the end of 2011. These "aspirational goals" were agreed upon the U.S. yesterday after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a surprise appearance in Baghdad. Iraq Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki has yet to agree on the proposal. But it appears to provide the concessions he’s sought.

Even the Bush administration knew it had to compromise given that America’s  U.N. mandate to occupy Iraq expires in December. But agreeing to leave the country in order to stay there would have been unimaginable a few months ago. The turn about could be due to legit security improvements in the country.

But it also indicates that the White House realizes the limited political power of a deeply unpopular, lame-duck administration. The administration’s neocon crusade can only now continue if a John McCain presidency wants it to.-MB

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