Yes, no, yes, no, maybe yes, maybe no.....This has been the timeline of the so called security agreement hatched between Bush and Maliki many moons ago.

It is an agreement fabricated to deliberately bypass Congressional approval and the OK of the Iraqi parliament but had hit the inevitable snags of such a flawed compact.

I've written about it many times, for example here, here, and here.

Now, we have the ultimate in spin and twisting the English language to make it appear there is still forward movement on this flawed agreement yet saying nothing.

From the NYTimes: "The United States and Iraq have agreed to set a “general time horizon” for the “further reduction of U.S. combat forces in Iraq” following the improvement in security conditions in the country, the White House said Friday.

"The breakthrough, which was reached between President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki in discussions via video link on Thursday, could lead to the successful completion of a long-term security agreement covering American operations in Iraq — from combat missions to detaining Iraqis — by the end of this month, a White House official said.

"But in a statement, the White House said Mr. Bush and Mr. Maliki had agreed “that improving conditions should allow for the agreements now under negotiation to include a general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals — such as the resumption of Iraqi security control in their cities and provinces and the further reduction of U.S. combat forces from Iraq.”

As a Democratic Congressman pointed out: "The agreement still faces stiff opposition. Rep. William Delahunt, a Massachusetts Democrat, who has led House hearings on the agreement, described the "time horizon" as "very vague and nebulous."

He was diplomatically indicating: Garbage in, garbage out. "Time horizon" and "aspirational goals," are so much twaddle.

And all typical of the imperial Bush administration: hypocrisy, lies and an authoritarian executive that disdains Congress.  But is appallingly accepted by a masochistic, Wussacratic leadership on Capitol Hill.