Anti-war leaders have bemoaned the current scarce coverage of the war in Iraq. The war is finally back in the headlines, so it’s a great chance for young people to make sure that they are part of the discussion.

So let’s recap the last few weeks.

Earlier this month, German Magazine Der Spiegel released an interview with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki endorsing a timeline to withdraw troops from Iraq. In his vision, U.S. troops would leave Iraq “as soon as possible.” Maliki added: “U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes.”

Woah.

Meanwhile, presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama has been traveling through Iraq as part of a foreign tour designed to amp up the candidate’s foreign policy credentials. Obama seized on these comments made Maliki, comments which essentially endorsed by name the Obama Iraq plan. (Obama recently laid out his plan for Iraq in a recent New York Times op-ed.)

What ensued was a few days of back-and-forth about what Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said or didn't say. Maliki eventually came out and “clarified” his statements, saying that he implied "timeline horizons, not specific dates,” and that withdrawal timings would depend on the readiness of the Iraqi security forces.

Most major papers were smart enough to point out that Maliki’s denials and “clarifications” came only after the Bush administration contacted his office "to express concern.” Obviously, the administration was under pressure to make it seem like it was a transcription error that made it seem like Maliki was not only endorsing Obama but also implying that the Americans need to leave ASAP. Der Spiegel insists that “Maliki actually got a copy of the interview before it was printed and had the option to make any changes.”

Now that Maliki’s comments have been vetted, it’s time to capitalize on the atmosphere of political opposition to an open-ended military presence in Iraq. Some even suggest we may be nearing a consensus on the coming end of U.S. combat involvement in Iraq.

Young people are and will continue being the Americans that pay most dearly for Bush’s misadventure, and they need to be part of the debate. The growing coverage of the issue gives students and young people a great opportunity to make their voices heard, and we want to help make that happen.

Submit an I’m Voting For testimonial to talk about the war and how it’s impacting your vote in 2008.

Check out the Campus Progress Iraq Campaign page to host an Iraq documentary screening, bring an expert speaker to your campus, or get involved with our campaign to bring a quick and responsible end to this mess of a war.

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