I remember when Obama wanted to keep some troops in Iraq after the 2008 Status of Forces Agreement that called for a complete withdrawal was to come into effect. His State Dept. tried to deny it, but the Iraqi side had leaked it and the US finally fessed up.
His wanting to keep troops in Iraq created consternation among some (D). His being denied his request created some consternation among some (D).
Al-Maliki insisted that the SOFA be implemented as negotiated and signed. It was at that point that Obama unambiguously claimed credit for the SOFA, signed by the US and Iraq a month before Obama's inauguration.
Party unity on this point soon followed. Obama said he ended the war and the SOFA was mostly forgotten. Some tried to say he pushed for no troops; others claimed he'd signed the agreement. Mostly, (D) didn't understand what the SOFA even was so it didn't enter into their thinking. Whatever.
Bush II wasn't all that pleased about that part of the Status of Forces Agreement, from what was said at the time; he had the offer to keep troops there, but they'd get no special protection under Iraqi law, and that was unacceptable. In other words, Al-Maliki insisted on conditions that demanded a full withdrawal when talking to Bush II, and refused to budge when talking to Obama. Al-Maliki was likely wrong, I think; Bush and Obama, largely right, but it's impossible to know for sure, and different assumptions would lead to different judgements as to what would have been likely.
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