Posted by Jack
2010 – Washington DC “Good afternoon, everybody. As a candidate for President, I pledged to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end — for the sake of our national security and to strengthen American leadership around the world. After taking office, I announced a new strategy that would end our combat mission in Iraq and remove all of our troops by the end of 2011.
Iraqis have taken full responsibility for their country’s security.
I would note that the end of war in Iraq reflects a larger transition. The tide of war is receding. The drawdown in Iraq allowed us to refocus our fight against al Qaeda and achieve major victories against its leadership.
2011- Washington DC ”We’re leaving behind a sovereign, stable, and self-reliant Iraq, with a representative government that was elected by its people. We’re building a new partnership between our nations.”
2010 – BAGHDAD—Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said his new government and the country’s security forces were capable of confronting any remaining threats to Iraq’s security, sovereignty and unity.
Mr. Maliki was eager to draw a line in his most definitive remarks on the subject. “The last American soldier will leave Iraq” as agreed, he said, speaking at his office in a leafy section of Baghdad’s protected Green Zone. “This agreement is not subject to extension, not subject to alteration. It is sealed.”
Mr. Maliki played down Iraq’s need for any major help from the U.S. military, even while acknowledging serious deficiencies in areas including control of airspace and borders. He said the days when ethnic or sectarian-based militias roamed the streets of Iraq and operated above the law were over.
“Not a single militia or gang can confront Iraqi forces and take over a street or a house,” said Mr. Maliki. “This is finished; we are comfortable about that.”
Weekly Standard recalls Joe Biden taking credit for our troops’ achievement under Bush:
They were handed a stable Iraq in 2008! They either buy their own BS about Bush’s failure or they are simply lying.
Obama will let Biden clean up his mess…or try to:
As long as we had made the commitment and paid the price the importance of a continued American presence with diplomatic support was vital in 2008. the entire Middle east would be a different place now had we had a leader with the mettle to handle al-Maliki. We had the biggest stick anyone could ever have in negotiations: A. Our considerable investment in blood and cash, B. Our considerable investment in hospitals and schools, C. Our support for an independent free Iraq under their chosen parliamentary form of secular government.
Yes al-Maliki was being a problem, as were others in the Iraqi government. Pride is the biggest barrier confronting these leaders but the agreement that Bush turned over to Obama left room for further negotiations. Bush rejected the timeline and in the final agreement Bush abs al-Maliki agreed to a Time Horizon for withdrawel. Our press, of course did everything it could to make him wron, undermine what was necessary for success, and paint the worst possible scenario. They and the left had ade sure that Americans were not just war weary (war has that effect) but believed we were wrong and had already failed. (Another Vietnam where we won and came home losers)
A competent president and a continueing American presence in Iraq would have bought the world a more stable less dangerous condition six years later (now).
An American presence would have encouraged Iraqi’s to understand and embrace secular government and freedom as they began to live out the benefits. two generations later Iraqi kids growing up in a stable free environment would have joined the rest of us in the current century. The cost would be no more than we have invested in Japan, Germany, South Korea and other places around the world. The benefit would have been great…the alternative is the chaos we are now seeing. Throw in the heightened probability of nuclear attack and maybe the price doesn’t seem so outlandish. Of course we’d need a strong economy to make support possible…that too has not worked under this leader.
Telegraph:
People that can’t stand doing the hard things will find soon enough that they get to bear the brunt of far worse anyway.