Hey Democrats. What’s all the fuss? Give your man President Obama a break.
All throughout the campaign, Barack Obama said he would end the war in Iraq. Today he took steps to do that. He also said he would make sure it would be a responsible exit. Leaving ZERO troops is NOT a responsible exit. Leaving 15,000 troops is NOT responsible either. 50,000 may be just about right. I mean are some Democrats really going to haggle over the amount of troops left there? Apparently so. Oy-vey.
I understand that Speaker Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid are disappointed by the 50,000 number. But you know what? There’s a difference between being a CANDIDATE for President and actually being PRESIDENT. When you’re President, you have access to a whole lot more information. You get a more detailed and better picture. And you become more measured. It’s natural.
You know, it would be one thing if Obama came and said, “You know what, I’ve been rethinking this Iraq thing and I think we’ll stay with 144,000 strong for a few more years.” C’mon folks. The President fulfilled a campaign promise Friday. The fact that key Republicans like John McCain and John Boehner seem to be on board with Obama’s strategy gives the President major national security cover.
The hard part for Obama will be in July of 2010. What happens if Iraq becomes VERY unstable after troops begin to leave? Then what? Decisions. Decisions.
By the way, this line from President Obama to Jim Lehrer of PBS tonight sums it all up when asked about how some prominent Democrats aren’t all that happy with Obama leaving 50,000 troops in Iraq after 2010.
"They, maybe, weren’t paying attention to what I said during the campaign. I said that we were going to take 16 months to withdraw our combat troops from Iraq. We are now taking 18 months instead of 16,” Obama told Lehrer, noting he’d long supported leaving residual forces there and using troops for training missions. “Obviously, because of consultations with commanders on the ground — something I also said I would do — there are some modifications to the plan.”
The whole interview is here and a key excerpt of President Obama’s speech on Iraq is below:
"Let me say this as plainly as I can: by August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end.
As we carry out this drawdown, my highest priority will be the safety and security of our troops and civilians in Iraq. We will proceed carefully, and I will consult closely with my military commanders on the ground and with the Iraqi government. There will surely be difficult periods and tactical adjustments. But our enemies should be left with no doubt: this plan gives our military the forces and the flexibility they need to support our Iraqi partners, and to succeed.
After we remove our combat brigades, our mission will change from combat to supporting the Iraqi government and its Security Forces as they take the absolute lead in securing their country. As I have long said, we will retain a transitional force to carry out three distinct functions: training, equipping, and advising Iraqi Security Forces as long as they remain non-sectarian; conducting targeted counter-terrorism missions; and protecting our ongoing civilian and military efforts within Iraq. Initially, this force will likely be made up of 35-50,000 U.S. troops.
Through this period of transition, we will carry out further redeployments. And under the Status of Forces Agreement with the Iraqi government, I intend to remove all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2011. We will complete this transition to Iraqi responsibility, and we will bring our troops home with the honor that they have earned."
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