Obama announces his timeline for Iraq troop withdrawal
By David Neiwert Friday Feb 27, 2009 10:37am
The date we can all look forward to: August 31, 2010.
President Barack Obama on Friday declared that the United States would end its bloody and costly combat mission in Iraq by late summer of 2010 — but a dramatic force reduction was not expected until after Iraq's elections at the end of this year.
"Let me say this as plainly as I can: by August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end," he said in a speech at the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune, N.C. "As we carry out this drawdown, my highest priority will be the safety and security of our troops and civilians in Iraq."
While perhaps not as newsworthy, Obama's remarks at the end of the speech were striking:
Obama: As a nation, we have had our share of debates about the war in Iraq. It has, at times, divided us as a people. To this very day, there are some Americans who want to stay in Iraq longer, and some who want to leave faster. But there should be no disagreement on what the men and women of our military have achieved.
And so I want to be very clear: We sent our troops to Iraq to do away with Saddam Hussein’s regime – and you got the job done. We kept our troops in Iraq to help establish a sovereign government – and you got the job done. And we will leave the Iraqi people with a hard-earned opportunity to live a better life – that is your achievement; that is the prospect that you have made possible.
There are many lessons to be learned from what we’ve experienced. We have learned that America must go to war with clearly defined goals, which is why I’ve ordered a review of our policy in Afghanistan. We have learned that we must always weigh the costs of action, and communicate those costs candidly to the American people, which is why I’ve put Iraq and Afghanistan into my budget. We have learned that in the 21st century, we must use all elements of American power to achieve our objectives, which is why I am committed to building our civilian national security capacity so that the burden is not continually pushed on to our military. We have learned that our political leaders must pursue the broad and bipartisan support that our national security policies depend upon, which is why I will consult with Congress and in carrying out my plans. And we have learned the importance of working closely with friends and allies, which is why we are launching a new era of engagement in the world.
The starting point for our policies must always be the safety of the American people. I know that you – the men and women of the finest fighting force in the history of the world – can meet any challenge, and defeat any foe. And as long as I am your Commander-in-Chief, I promise you that I will only send you into harm’s way when it is absolutely necessary, and provide you with the equipment and support you need to get the job done. That is the most important lesson of all – for the consequences of war are dire, the sacrifices immeasurable.
It seemed as if he was striking out for common ground between the antiwar rhetoric that got him elected and his role as both commander in chief and nation's chief diplomat.
Complete remarks here.
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reports that O made a courtesy call to W before the announcement. I hope he told him to f*%$ off!
enough.
What does "combat mission" mean?
Does that mean ALL troops out and Iraq gets their country back?
Or does it mean there will still be ten to twenty thousand troops left to protect US oil interests?
no,and yes.
That's what I was afraid of.
Don't you wish Obama would just come right out and say it?
and in case anyone actually missed it, Bush had the exact same dates and times for withdrawal. Shall we praise Bush too?
1. Too long, way to fucking long
2. Redeploy to Afghanistan...another illegal war
3. Halliburton still in business
4. Our centuries long "War on Brown People" continues
a. Slavery and Jim Crow 1607-1967
b. Indian Wars 1516-1980
c. Mexican War 1846-1848
d. Spanish American War 1896-1902 (including the Philippines)
e. Latin American Wars 1902-1989
f. Iranian War 1953-to date
g. South East Asian War 1955-1975
h. First Gulf War 1988-1999
i. Central Asian War 2001-????
j. Second Gulf War 2002-????
k. Israeli Arab War 1948-????
Thems our brown people to kill!!!
...that Mr. Obama just served notice that the March of the Glorius Police State will continue, even accelerate.
actually as long as we are proping up a bush puppet government and looking out for americas interests as obama says, that being the supression of the citizens of iraq and the interests of the oil companys not to mention that huge embassy and twelve military bases we will never in your lifetime see a full withdrawl of us nazis occupation forces in IRAQ!!!!!!
to see the Bush-style photo op too, complete with soldiers everywhere. Now let's go kill some poor brown people. They'z evil cuz theyz different.
...you'd be bitching about that too. And good luck with your constant subtle comparisions of Obama to Bush...dumbass.
dumbass. His speech is almost identical in words to Bush. Now FU.
Its ok cc. Left and left is just kidding with the dumbass remark.
Right left and left?
You wouldn't resort to personal insults instead of discussing the merits of another persons point.
your typing skills curt. The truth is, there are at least 20% of Obama supporters that will support everything he says and does, regardless of what it might be. They are of the same mentality as the 20% Repub supporters.
And to criticize the man for keeping a promise while equating him after 45 days to the worst President in history is dumb.
Keeping a promise??? Hardly!! This is NOTHING at all like what he promised during the campaign!
You mean the promise he made, repeatedly, to withdraw combat troops within 18 months? That one? Sounds identical to what he's saying now. And for the people saying this is "identical to Bush's timeline", Bush never talked about withdrawing at all until the Iraqis forced his hand.
And identical to Bush when? The President is simply keeping a promise that is complex in it's application. Your redundantly negative bullshit is old.
See, this is a response I can listen to l&l. Notice you directed your criticism at his viewpoint, not what kind of person you think he is.
His view never changes. He has always equated Obama with Bush, Democrats with Republicans, Gore with Cheney etc.
He is completely committed to his point of view, which is as immutable as that of the most extreme religious fundamentalist. There is no point debating such people.
I disagree see leaderships comment below.
We have a right to doubt and question BOTH parties. I am nearly completely committed to my view that our government is essentially corrupt, beholden only to donors and corporations. And I am listening to you to provide me evidence to the contrary. I know there is some, just not enough for me to say "I trust this administration."
have a right to doubt and question both parties.
However, a persistent failure to acknowledge that there are distinct differences between the parties and between particular politicians is either delusional or intellectually dishonest.
Several posters have previously expressed support for certain changes yet refuse to give any credit to the new administration when those exact same changes are enacted. A dogmatic refusal ever to acknowledge that some beneficial changes are being made and a continual pretense that Bush = Gore is just as deceptive as the arguments made by Rush's dittoheads.
Bob I was all over yesterdays news about the end of federal pot raids and the desire to let states decide their own pot laws. I posted it twice.
I have been supportive of Obama when he has kept his promises. I have been skeptical when the change appears good but is later proven to be not so good.
Today's article is an example. About Iraq. Here it says praise be. Later today cernig writes it may not be worth the paper it is written on.
Credit where credit due. Criticism where criticism due.
negative bullshit said in a derogatory manner as I often say. And it is old. Tiresome. Repetitive. Not positive.
CC is not on my ignore list but L&L is and here is why.
CC understands that Obama, although the best thing since sliced bread, is still a mainstream centrist politician. His continued occupation of Afghanistan is one example.
But CC is a very thoughtful progressive. He is pissed because he is tired, like many of us, of the evil that is Washington, and Ottawa. He is past the point of cynical like many of us.
Unlike L&L who is an asshole, pure and simple. Just a self loathing projecting ranting little douchebag.
Well said.
My main point: limit the personal attacks (understandable when they are in response to a personal insult) and focus on the substance.
Totally agree!!
Your main point was to "limit the personal attacks" and you just praised Leadership for calling L&L a "self loathing projecting ranting little douchebag"?
I would have thought your standard would be applied consistently, regardless of the identity of the poster and, quite frankly, regardless of the provocation.
If L&L is impolite, it's ok for his targets to respond in kind? That just causes discussion to degenerate into name calling.
He praised me for my eloquent and appropriate
summation of L&L. Me calling L&L a "self
loathing projecting ranting little douchebag"
is in response to L&Ls continued revolting
behavior, not his opinion or stand on an issue.
He also praised my support of CC who is NOT
always bitching, even though he has every
right to. Our neocon bullshit has infected
his governement as well.
L&L is an asshole yet some fucking foreigner, who does nothing but bitch about EVERYTHING done here in America is A-OK by you?
You have to be kidding. I mean really.
Do you even read CC's constant bitching about literally everything American? In every thread. Every day?
I'd take 100 L&L's over one CC thank you very much.
Questioning our government is what we are supposed to do. Whine and complain about everything before it is done, while it is being done and then after it is done - no matter what that something is is hardly any kind of positive discourse.
Some fucking foreigner?
OMG did you just say some fucking foreigner?
We are all men and women with unalienable rights
and equal under the law, not a law of a false
God or a corrupt political elite, but the law of
the great social contract we sign onto when we
are born. When we say, I will not steal, I will
not kill, I will not hate, we become a family.
And I continue to resent someone from another country bitching about any and everything American.
I do not say that unions in another country are at fault for the auto industry disaster, which CC has done.
I do not rail against another country on an ongoing basis. I may have an opinion but I do not say that that country is fucked up and everything they do is wrong, which CC has done.
Yeah, I resent the hell out of it.
After eight years of having GWB, we have an opportunity to fix the messes he left behind, but does anyone think this will happen overnight? I don't.
Since two days after the ELECTION, CC was bitching. The level of his complaints are not welcome by this American. We are not a perfect country and for the last eight years we seriously lost our way, but goddamnit, I am an American and I resent someone who does not live here repeatedly telling me how fucking stupid we are.
MsJoanne. In case you hadn't noticed, most of the world's problems right now are American made. I resent the hell out of it.
I resent what America has forced upon the world. No, I am embarrassed by what we have done. I am not making excuses for the fucked up policies (and not just GWB, but going back much farther).
I do not dislike foreigners. I resent CC and his constant barrage of malcontent of everything American. That his "facts" are often wrong. That we are a bunch of dumb fucks. Yes, many of us are, but not all of us.
How would you like it if I said that all Canadians were nothing but a bunch of dumb asses who couldn't do anything without America? I assume you would resent that. I would.
I get it just about every day I go on YouTube. I have been told to kill myself because Canada is useless. It's a lifelong trend towards Canadians by our supposed brothers and sisters. America is Almighty, so go f$#@ yourslef Cannucks. I didn't expect to find it here. But you';ve been brainwashed since birth, so I will forgive you.
Americans are incapable of objectively seeing their own country becuase you all swim in the same fish bowl.
Travel cures it for some of us if we are open minded.
If Joanne cannot travel, seek a foreign news service or your local "fucking foreigner " and buy them a cup of coffee. Ask them what they think about the states, and listen.
I have been to about 20 countries on five different continents.
You are missing my point. Or you refuse to see it.
No I understand you a little better in what you said below, but you can understand when you hear someone use the phrase "fucking foreigner", it makes one think you are zenophobic due to under exposure.
And for that I apologize. I forget that not everyone reads every post on every thread like I do - and have done for a long, long time.
This is not a new resentment for me. It is months old.
For those who are new to this and me, I apologize for the impression I left.
Other than that...I stand by my feelings.
That's all it takes. Apology accepted. We don't hate you, we're simply as frustrated as you are, but can't vote or make any of these needed changes ourselves. We have to sit and watch, and apparently keep our mouths shut.
No problems MsJoanne. We all vent. I'm forgetting about it now.
I see all our failings (ones which are made public, at least) and I realize that we are not the wonderful nation so many think we are.
I, personally, love Canadians. My boyfriend is Canadian. My best friend is in Ottawa and works for Parliament.
I am pissed at one person who continually bitches about everything American. I'm sorry, I do resent that.
Especially HERE, where most of us are more knowledgable than the vast majority of Americans and who truly care about what our country has done and will do.
CC doesn't attack americans. he attacks our government.
I think you will find that with a lot of foreigners is they love americans, hate our government.
Go back to the first time I told him to get fucked. He is not always speaking out about the government...he has spoken out about US.
You jumped on me above for complimenting leadership on a comment that contained a personal insult.
I qualified that with the state ment that they are understandable when someone else has thrown first.
I don't see cc throwing first when he steps into the room/
I'm enjoying the discussion and I'm listening to you joanne. you have made some great comments on this site.
I gotta go but I look forward to talking with you more
kiddo. :-)
Enjoy your evening.
"fucking foreigner"?
how did i end up on LGF?
Some fucking foreigner.?!?! Gee, thanks MsJoanne. How could we ever be as wise as you a natural-born American. And you wonder why America is not everyone's little darling???????
Ms Joanne you are better than that.
Not caring about what some fucking foreigner's opinion is is what got us into the clusterfuck we are in today. Some fucking foreigner is right out of the republicans play book.
we have a hell of a lot more to learn from our foreign members of the community that we do from ourselves to start listening.
There is positive discourse and rampant whining. And I am sorry, I won't tolerate someone making broad brush, sweeping statements about how stupid we are as a population.
Do YOU think every American is a dumbass?
I can understand the comment in response to L & L personal insults.
I'm afraid a lot of us are dumb. Not all, but large scale brainwashing seems to work better on Americans than other people.
No, I don't. Nor does CC.
However, from what the planet has seen/been given these last 8 years, I'm willing to change that assessment. I don't think it's stupidity so much, it's apathy, disconnect and willful blindness (by most citizens). That is equivalent to being dumb. What should we think when we watch a country fall apart and its citizenry stands idly by? It's smart and functional???????
***As always not all C&Lers are not painted with this broad brush. I know you care, are working towrad solutions, and are very intelligent (for the most part.)
That too many Americans were apathetic to what our government does to us, to others and in our name.
I think that is changing, based upon how many people got involved in the last election...it woke many of us up, especially younger people (thank goodness!!) for those are the ones who will have to take the baton in the future.
I hope that they never forget the terrible lessons which were inflicted upon us and the world by the neocons and the likes of GWB.
Yes, I am glad to see that much of the nation is now getting a a truer glimpse of the GOP now. When they had the power, they controlled the message, framing it in patriotic terms. Patriotism is some weird drug in the USA. It most certainly is not felt so striongly in Canada. We laugh at ourselves all the time. We don't kid oursleves we are great, just a darned nice place to live, and reasoanbly sane.
In a way, I like that people think were rinky dink. It keeps the riff raff out.
Even before meeting The Greatest Guy Ever, from my very first visit. Your country has amazingly wonderful people, you are accepting of almost anyone and anything, you are beyond polite (which, as much as don't seem to be at times, I highly value and appreciate), and you, as a people and a country are kind (in how you treat your fellow country men and women).
There is much to love about Canada.
MsJoanne
I believe that what Concerned Canuck is doing is criticizing the idea of rampant Americanism in the U.S. He often notes, with accuracy, how so many liberals are ready to place party over principle by refraining from condemning the belligerent actions of Barack Obama who already proven during his brief tenure in office that he has become just as much of a warmonger [by dropping bombs on innocent Afghan women and children and ordering air strikes which have resulted in the killing of innocent Pakistani women and children] as George W. Bush.
I do not care if Concerned Canuck had been a Concerned Citizen from Outer Mongolia. His stinging statements are also laced with unerring accuracy. If his comments upset liberals then that means, I believe, that he is doing something right by doing that makes them do what the neoconservatives also dread and that is to think.
I would definitely disagree with unerring accuracy, which is the basis of my problem with him - his facts on several issues were absolutely incorrect and how those bullshit facts were presented was appallingly put forth as Americans are the dumbest people on earth.
I do not believe anyone should follow any person or any party without thought. That was the whole point of the First Amendment...for us (well, the press, at least) to be able to freely speak out against our government. And anyone who does not do that, to me, is not a good American. THAT is what made our country strong.
Don't get me started on the corporate media.
My anger goes beyond speaking out against the government...it is sweeping statements speaking out against us that I resent.
..withdrawl sooner rather than in 18 months but I voted for Obama and am willing to give him a chance.
Bush - do not pass GO, do not collect $200
same for Cheney, Rummy, Rice, Bolton, Wolfie, et.al.
And the guys who wired the showers where our troops were electrocuted, a special place in HELL for those guys!
Although of little comfort to almost Five Thousand families......Better late than never.
(Of course, this is only in the U.S.)
2010 is gonna be one helluva year. Stimulus, taxcuts, budgets and now troop withdrawals/redeployments, all in the same year.
"We sent our troops to Iraq to do away with Saddam's regime."
Is that correct?
Nope, it's sad to see Obama spin it this way. It was part war profiteering, part oil deals, and part politics to get the bush monster reelected.
I do believe that Bush is petty enough to use the US Military to settle a personal grudge.
I think if you dig into the Attorney Scandal you will see a pattern of Bush using US Government Agencies to go after people that personally pissed him off. I will also throw the outing of the CIA agent into my argument. He basically ruined the career of a woman whose husband pissed him off.
I think Bush is a petty man. He invaded Iraq to settle a family grudge and the conracts and profiteering were just sauce for the goose.
Every rationale Bush has made for the invasion has fallen flat on its face.
He didn't go to steal the oil. Iraq was already selling oil well below market value.
He din't go there to bring democracy. A democratic society requires an excess or access to an excess of natural rescources to acheive. A democratic society can never exist in a desert or a region where rescources are scarce.
The no-bid Defense Contracts could of just as easily gone to Afghanistan. Bush already had a war to profit off of.
They weren't producing WMD and everybody knew it to include Bush.
It sure as hell wasn't to keep Iran or Al Queda out. Saddam was doing that for them.
Why go somewhere when their is nothing to gain, unless it is some kind of personal satisfaction or gratification.
I will take this one step further. The only reason we stayed in Iraq was becuase Bush had his ego bruised. He thought he would get up on the World stage and everybody would cheerlead for him, like they did his daddy. Instead the World called him on his shit. He kept our troops in Iraq to prove the rest of the World wrong.
to divert attention from the fact Bush had let Bin Laden slip away.
Good point ricky. That's why I still maintain we should have invaded saudi arabia. If we didn't get Osama, we could have gotten his family and the people that funded the attacks.
The plans to invade Iraq were on the table long before 9/11.
Just saying.
time table we would have had to come up with another excuse.
But heaven forbid we not use the one Bin Laden gave us.
All they had to do is connect bin Laden to Saddam. And it worked.
to the sea, more easily extracted resources, and a homogenous population? It does, however have that whole Mecca problem.
Disney would manage Mecca. they are great at managing attractions.
not really we invaded iraq to shut down the excess oil on the world market so the bush gang and the saudi oil cartel could charge you four dollars a gallon for gas, mission accomplished!
Don't you dare actually quote Obama. SOME posters on here hate that.
LOL. Reminds me of a christian friend who told me "I hate it when people quote the bible."
People are too funny.
they are so used to being angry at Bush supporters, they don't know how to view anyone that questions anything any more.
Too true. False dichotomy all the way.
"Either you are with us or against us."
Sound familiar?
I have yet to see a single poster claim that Obama's every thought is beyond reproach, just as I've never seen ConcernedCanuck ever admit that he appreciated or agreed with any action of the new administration.
His views would be much more relevant if he was not so completely one sided in his approach.
I think his main "concern" is that Canada looks wimpy next to a superpower.
Now... now... it is not nice to make fun of the 51st state.
Or we'll deport Ignatieff and he'll bring Harper and Stockboy with him!
Good one.
Your posts might get a better reception if they weren't so laden with contempt for Americans and larded with Holier-than-thou. It is one thing to question a politician's motives and quite another to put the worst possible construction on every word and deed.
Right after Bush went to the UN to get authorization to invade, and didn't receive that authorization, he announced that ridding Iraq of Saddam, liberating the Iraqi people, was THE reason.
Yeah .. I know .. it wasn't the first reason given, and it wasn't the last, but by far it was the noblest .. if a lie.
And if any good was accomplished, it was that .. at a terrible price.
If we don't stop him, the planet Tralfamadore will surely be destroyed.
Sadly, Obama's got to cover his ass on this one. Supposedly, McCain supports the plan. That means that if things go to hell after we pull (most of) our troops out, it will be harder for the Wingnuts to impeach Obama for treason.
which may have an element of truth since 50,000 are left in the old frying pan.
jesus with fifty thousand men in iraq i could smash in any iraqy citizens door at midnight roust the inhabitents smack thier granpaw around tie up the kids and threaten to molest every woman in the house all in the name of ..... democracy!!!!!!!
that would be torture. It will now occur in Afghanistan mainly, so you'd have to transfer those people. Thank the Good Lawrd Gitmo will be closed though.
I'm really starting to think that at least 20% of the population regardless of political affiliation, could walk into the forest and not see a single tree if told there weren't any.
canuck its all relavent ,iraq afganistan thier interchangable,
In my climate we have to be careful what we leave out for fear of attracting them.
Obama: "The starting point for our policies must always be the safety of the American people."
Isn't it a well known fact now that a major reason for the 9/11 attacks was in retaliation to US bases in Saudi Arabia. So, wouldn't the best policy for the safety of the American people be to remove ALL US troops and bases from the region. I'm sure Americans wouldn't like it if their was a Saudi base in Colorado or an Iraqi base in Iowa. Don't make the same mistake again Obama... that's why we learn history.
It just doesn't make sense. The man was pro-American enough to work for the CIA during the 1980s. Why would a person like that have a problem with US Bases in Saudi Arabia? The rationale used to explain why he hates America so much just doesn't make any sense. There is more to this story than him becoming fanatically religous or become some ultra nationalist. Half of the photos of him; he is wearing an American Army field jacket. Why wear the uniform of your enemy. It would be like a Jewish man wearing an SS uniform. Doesn't make much sense.
... but I don't believe this is accurate:
My understanding is that 50,000 troops will remain in Iraq following that date. I'm not really sure how a country which invaded under false pretenses can justify keeping such a huge military presence while at the same time recognizing that the war was wrong. It seems kind of two faced.
As in I - 30,000 = A + 30,000.
He's saying removal from Iraq, not bringing them home.
On the other hand at least with Afghanistan Obama will talk first and softly no doubt.
It's the compliment of having a big stick.
shrimp! and white wine!
bwahahahaa
The end of his speech was amazing. He is truly inspirational, totally makes me want to be a better citizen. Schmaltzy, yes, but true.
Ain't nothing wrong with that!
He is inspiring for sure...after 8 years of an idiot in the WH, it's so refreshing, and...what's the word....exciting, to have a deliberate, patient diplomat at the helm.
Not a word about the humanitarian crisis.
This is the same as the Bush time line. Same number of troops, same schedule, same deployments. I might even be sanguine about the withdrawal, given that there may be a thousand reasons I don't know about the logistics.
But I'm saddened to hear nothing from this administration about the refugees. Nothing about the living conditions we created in and around Baghdad. Nothing about the electricity and schools.
I'm glad we're getting out, and pulling the combat troops. Only GEEZ! Why so much focus on the political aspects of Iraq, and so little about the humanitarian. We did these people wrong.
we should hear a speech about the plight of Iraqi refugees, as well as words recognizing the anquish most Iraqis suffer as a result of the uncounted deaths of innocent people; however, I believe those topics are of such great importance, that they should be addressed on their own. I hope the president does that.
Yes. As ricky so correctly points out below, this was not the time and place to address the failings of our military occupation. I too hope is is addressed at some point.
Obama needs to do what Desmond Tutu suggested and apologize for the war, but I think he should offer reparations to the widows and orphans created by Bush and Company as well, like Germany had to give the Jews.
I would love to see prosecution for the ultimate war crime of "Shock and Awe", the fake justification for a mass killing, but I know the most people are talking about prosecution for torture as if that is more evil than killing innocents. This country is still fucked up even with a black Democrat as president.
this country is broke, where we gonna come with that kinda scratch?
It's not that broke there's still plenty for pork, but if it is then leave it to international justice.
Reparations may have to wait awhile, I agree there's not a lot of extra money lying around right now. I hope they do come eventually.
Reparations, yes. Dollars for bodies - no. At the very least, we should leave with them with frik'n electricity. If only we could leave them in living conditions that comes close to what they 'enjoyed' under Saddam, that would be a start. Blowing the crap out of their cities, killing their children, ruining their means of feeding themselves, and making hundreds of thousands homeless - then leaving - is just wrong.
Whats also good about this is the fact that you can expect a rise in inlistments in the future.
The rise in enlistments has more to do with the economy tanking. Also something to note, most the new recruits are actually people that have been in, gotten out, and been forced bak by economic situations such as losing a job or not having healthcare for their families.
"It's a start."
We'll keep the pressure on.
"Obama: We sent our troops to Iraq to do away with Saddam Hussein’s regime – and you got the job done. We kept our troops in Iraq to help establish a sovereign government – and you got the job done. And we will leave the Iraqi people with a hard-earned opportunity to live a better life – that is your achievement; that is the prospect that you have made possible."
Don't forget to thank the troops for getting rid of the weapons of mass destruction. And leaving the Sunni and Christian Iraqis the opportunity to live a better life--as a Shiite--or die.
Iran must be happy that we have converted their secular neighbor into a Shiite theocracy like their own. Can we ever leave Iraq to join forces with Iran?
Hey David Gregory
There is no news story here and is doesn’t matter how hard you try to push, President Obama never said “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED” You keep trying to put him in the same category as your President Bush but “NO ONE” is falling for it not even General McCaffrey, who told David Gregory there is a danger of over interrupting President Obama’s Speech, when David Gregory asked the question what was President Obama declaring. General McCaffrey went on to say that he thought President Obama speech was straight forward and from a military audience this was a homerun, The General also said it literally brought tears to his eyes.
Arie Fleischer already admitted last Saturday on the D L Hugely show that David Gregory was a supporter of the George W. Bush White House and so his performance today is totally signaling that. I think even Chuck Todd was bewildered by David Gregory’s questioning of President Obama’s speech.
David Gregory is no Tim Russert and that is why Meet the Press is no longer worth watching. I think David Shuster would have been worth taking over this spot at least he doesn’t work off of Republican talking points.
Good post.
However, MTP and the other sunday morning shows became worthless propaganda long before Russert passed.
when I hear people say we HAD to get rid of Saddam because he gassed his own people to death!!
Ummmm.....didn't he do that during the Reagan Administration??....with gas that originally came from US??
Reagan decided not to "get Saddam".....GHW Bush decided not to "get Saddam"....Clinton decided not to "get Saddam"...
So....20 years later all of a sudden it's SO freakin' important???
but I am not President of the US in an imploding economy. If Obama removes the incentive for the military establishment to attack him then only thing left in opposition are the nut jobs like Bolton on foreign policy and Gramm on domestic policy.
By choosing not to confront the revered "commanders on the ground,"
Obama removes Petraeus as a McCarthy like figure. By choosing to announce his decision in front of a military audience he gave himself no option but to praise their individual service and ability. He could hardly have gone in and said "5,000 of you and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died for no reason." No matter how true it might be, no commander in chief can say something like that.
For those who want to be critical from a left of Obama perspective, be consistent. Obama inherited a mess. Simply walking away from all or some of it is not as easy as comments would have it.
.
ricky!
Well said indeed.
good thoughts, but don't assume that the MIC won't attack him anyway. be it b/c of the (never gonna work) missile defense shield, some osprey-type contract, attacking oceania, etc.
thus, i don't think one should triangulate their political considerations on how to placate the MIC.
but, i do agree, walking away from iraq would be problematic. although, i find that framing of the argument ('walk away from') slightly troubling.
I totally agree with you, and was going to post about the same thing.
1 - I'm not happy that we'll be there that long, but nothing about this War on Iraq has made me happy. At least he's trying to end it and giving us an actual date.
2 - I don't care who you are or what fucking party you represent, it is NOT RIGHT to use military personnel as props for your fucking photo op.
Ricky
I suspect that your meant former General Douglas MacArthur not former Senator Joseph McCarthy. You also state that "simply walking away from all or some of it is not as easy as comments would have it." Sure it is. All Obama, the former [alleged] antiwar candidate, has to do is to order ALL troops, combat or otherwise, our of Iraq. The whole process should take, I would think, about six to eight week.
If you believe that the United States was wrong to have invaded and occupied Iraq [which it surely was], then it is simply intellectually indefensible to believe that the United States under Barack Obama should leave its troops, which have caused upwards of a million Iraqis to lose their lives [according to the credible study published in The Lancet a few years ago ago], to remain in Iraq. American soldiers, which have done so much harm to the Iraqis, do not belong in that country.
Would you be in favor of foreign soldiers occupying the United States? That is a question that most Americans, unfortunately, never choose to address.
Iraqis, Afghans, Pakistanis, et al-resist the American empire.
In a long time that I turned on the evening local news and it was all good. No death, no negativity. Obama lifted the ban on taking photos of the war dead, and even better yet he said he would stop fucking raiding our pot clubs out here in CA. Then he turns around and announces troop withdrawal. His timeline is completely reasonable.
Plus 2 weeks ago I was unemployed and losing my house and now I got a job making more money then I seen in my life.
Only 4 weeks in, it is a dramatic improvement. Just because you don't get every thing you want dosen't mean he sold us out.
You COULD have MCCain Palin, shudder..........
I was going to note that Obama, the former [alleged] antiwar candidate, sold out the antiwar movement but anyone who was paying attention knows that Obama was not a true antiwar candidate. Advocating a phased [as opposed to immediate] withdrawal plan as well as keeping not only a "residual force" of what could be as many as 50,000 American forces in Iraq is not the true definition of an antiwar candidate. What has also received very little attention is that Obama, the [alleged] former antiwar candidate, also wants to keep the 140,000 military contractors, such as the infamous Blackwater organization, behind in Iraq.
This also does not take into account the millions of dollars that this is costing the American taxpayers to keep afloat another liberal misadventure [shades of LBJ]. Is Obama going to dismantle the military bases and the largest U.S. military embassy? There is about as much chance of that happening as there is of Obama pushing for single-payer health care in this country [which would certainly be feasible if the U.S. was not paying for the occupation of Iraq and the war in Afghanistan as well as Obama, the [alleged] former antiwar candidate, severely cutting the military budget.
mission accomplished ! ect ect!and senator mccsnerd now loves him the obamabatman!
Ummm...hellloo...President Obama's address today was almost VERBATIM on what he said his plans would be for Iraq during the entire election.
That is a good thing. If you voted for him and now feel some sense of weird perceived betrayal, you did not listen to a d*** word he said during the election.
All you heard was "...end the war in Iraq". Guess what, that is what this plan is. Oh, and the dates? Other than the 2-month extension, it is EXACTLY what he said during the entire election. The number of troops? He said what it would take based on input from BOTH parties, military, advisors, etc. --- and that is EXACTLY what he did.
I am not an Obama homer in the sense of a blind love story as many do, but I do support him and his policies, and will say that he is doing everything EXACTLY like he said he would do in the election. I support his policies because that is what I voted on.
Go back and look at his campaign policy speeches, or maybe you don't care that much about his -real- job....like being straight, honest, and dealing with us with integrity.
So you support rendition, Afghan surge, and Pakistan bombings of children?
If you are asking if I support defending the Taliban, a sect that villanizes/beats/kills women (including teenage girls), strong arms its country's elected leaders to concede land for threat they will kill their families, and traffics heroin throughout the world, my answer would have to be no, and I support what we have to do there to limit that type of hate and oppression.
If you are asking if I support the very group that bombed and slaughtered us in 2001, my answer would have to be no, and I support troop increases if that is what we have to do.
Your comment about supporting killing children is way out of bounds and frankly insulting and droll.
msbel64
You "support the very group that bombed and slaughtered us in 2001, my answer would have to be no..." Here is a news flash. The Taliban, just like the Iraqis and the Afghans, had absolutely no connection with the terrorist attacks on 09/11/01. Concerned Canuck's comment about the U.S. dropping bombs on Pakistani children is quite true as are Obama's orders about dropping bombs and slaughtering innocent Afghan children also.
That means that the lesser of two evil ens up being just as evil as that of Bush and Cheney.
That's all nice and neat from a brainwashed American perspective. How nice for you. Very good guys vs. bad guys.
Frankly your comment is more droll.
I object to your government every bit as much as I do the Taliban. Should we invade?
yeah i listened to him, and figured out he wasnt nothing but more of the same warmongers inc! bunch of supposed liberals turned out to be the, instead of flying with the eagles i decided to walk with the turkeys!
How about this - knowing what you know now in Obama's first 100 days...
a. would you have not voted for him
b. would you vote for him now if you did not first time
and
c. would you move to another country
d. would you stay the course and whether the storm with your neighbors
I like Obama. It's America that's broken. He can't fix it alone.
I heard him during the campaign.
I watched this guy campaign for Lieberman, for Christ's sake.
I do not feel betrayed by him.
I feel contempt for those who portrayed Obama as the guy who was against the war in Iraq.
He is a republican in drag.
I didn't vote for him.
Mike....you da damn SLOB of Bisbee
"which is why I am committed to building our civilian national security capacity so that the burden is not continually pushed on to our military."
Is this Obama alluding to the coming military draft or just merely national 'civilian' service? Is this the 'change' you guys voted for??
I see, you are being intentionally obtuse.
Who has never heard of police?
So I just don't believe you are serious. Why bother posting?
when I see it. I want both wars to end. Too many people have died for lies. End it.
JohnnyBravo
Extremely well said.
Any bets that there will not be a time line for Afghanistan?
Great point. Hadn't even thought of that.
No mission accomplished banners there yet.
Timeline: Infinity
August 31, 2010.
That's only two hundred and sixteen billion dollars and god knows how many body bags from now.
Great.
I'm so glad.
[Deleted. Off topic-Sitemonitor]
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