Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran and Chair of VoteVets.org said:

"It is wholly inappropriate for Vets for Freedom to be running an advertisement that advocates staying in Iraq indefinitely, given Prime Minister Maliki's request this week that the U.S. set a firm timetable to redeploy our troops. Our nation must stand firm and in lockstep to support the sovereign democratic government of Iraq, and unfortunately an ad like this only tells the Iraqis that our nation is divided on whether to support Iraq's government.

"We agree with John McCain of 2004, who said that if the Iraqis asked us to leave or set a timetable to leave, we would do so. It's unfortunate, and indeed dangerous, that Senator McCain has flip-flopped on that position, and disappointing that Vets for Freedom would support that flip-flop from a sensible policy with an ad like this.

"In the end, we fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom - emphasis on Freedom. To advocate the overruling of Prime Minister Maliki's request would be to retreat from the very thing we said we were fighting for."

Our nation must stand firm and in lockstep to support the sovereign democratic government of Iraq

We agree with John McCain of 2004, who said that if the Iraqis asked us to leave or set a timetable to leave, we would do so.

In the end, we fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom - emphasis on Freedom. To advocate the overruling of Prime Minister Maliki's request would be to retreat from the very thing we said we were fighting for.

I wonder if he will stand behind those words now that it has come out that Maliki did NOT call for a timetable for withdrawal, but asked for pretty much the opposite.

Late to the party and with no real facts.

This from the Washington post july 13 2008.

Maliki, who last week publicly insisted on a withdrawal timeline, wants to frame the agreement as outlining the terms for "Americans leaving Iraq" rather than the conditions under which they will stay, said the U.S. official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity because U.S.-Iraqi negotiations are ongoing.

from source;
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/12/AR2008071201915.html?hpid=topnews