"It doesn't make any sense to have a timetable. You know, if you give a timetable, you're - you're conceding too much to the enemy."
Which makes perfect sense, as US imperialism had no intention of leaving the country. Part of the real reasons for the war was to place a US client state at the heart of the Middle East. And to that end, the US is building up to 14 permanent bases in Iraq.
Back in 1999, when he was running for office, Bush held radically different views. Not only was he against "nation building" and intervening in foreign wars, he also criticized Clinton for not setting a timetable for exiting Kosovo. He stressed that "victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is."As for the specific need for a timetable, he thought "it's also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn."
And he gets annoyed when people apply the same standard to his war!