In a May 15 post on washingtopost.com political blog The Trail, Washington Post staff writer Michael D. Shear falsely suggested that Sen. Barack Obama has changed his position on U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq since September 2007. Reporting on a speech that Sen. John McCain gave that day, Shear wrote that the speech “envisioned an America that, by 2013, 'has welcomed home most of the servicemen and women' ” serving in Iraq, and that "[b]y that time, McCain said, 'the United States maintains a military presence' in Iraq, 'but a much smaller one, and it does not play a direct combat role.' " Shear also reported that when "[a]sked to make a withdrawal timeline pledge during a debate last September, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama declined, saying that 'it's hard to project four years from now and I think it would be irresponsible. We don't know what contingency will be out there.' " Shear continued: “But more recently, Obama has said he will remove all combat brigades from Iraq within 16 months of becoming president and will leave 'some troops' in Iraq to protect U.S. embassy personnel there and carry out targeted strikes on terrorists.”

But contrary to Shear's suggestion, Obama did not make contradictory statements. During the September 26, 2007, MSNBC debate, host Tim Russert asked Obama, “Will you pledge that by January 2013, the end of your first term more than five years from now, there will be no U.S. troops in Iraq? [emphasis added]” Shear reported Obama's answer but not the question -- which was about the withdrawal of all troops, not, as Shear suggested, the withdrawal of most troops. Obama responded, “I think it's hard to project four years from now, and I think it would be irresponsible. We don't know what contingency will be out there,” as Shear reported. Obama also said: “What I can promise is that if there are still troops in Iraq when I take office ... then I will drastically reduce our presence there to the mission of protecting our embassy, protecting our civilians and making sure that we're carrying out counterterrorism activities there [emphasis added].” Thus, contrary to Shear's suggestion, Obama's statement in September 2007 about withdrawing most troops, while leaving a troop presence in Iraq, is consistent with what Shear quoted Obama as saying recently.

From Shear's May 15 post on The Trail:

Just last month, McCain said that “to promise a withdrawal of our forces from Iraq, regardless of the calamitous consequences to the Iraqi people, our most vital interests, and the future of the Middle East, is the height of irresponsibility. It is a failure of leadership.''

But the speech he gave this morning envisioned an America that, by 2013, ”has welcomed home most of the servicemen and women who have sacrificed terribly so that America might be secure in her freedom. The Iraq war has been won."

By that time, McCain said, “the United States maintains a military presence” in Iraq, “but a much smaller one, and it does not play a direct combat role.”

Asked to make a withdrawal timeline pledge during a debate last September, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama declined, saying that “it's hard to project four years from now and I think it would be irresponsible. We don't know what contingency will be out there.”

But more recently, Obama has said he will remove all combat brigades from Iraq within 16 months of becoming president and will leave “some troops” in Iraq to protect U.S. embassy personnel there and carry out targeted strikes on terrorists.