Obama says Iraq war must end

[Wretched Excess]

well, this is the major policy address on iraq that we have been told was coming. 

Obama says Iraq war must end

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) vowed to quickly end the war in Iraq and shift the focus of the war on terror to Afghanistan and Pakistan, declaring in an address today that the “single-minded and open-ended focus" on Iraq "distracts us from every threat that we face and so many opportunities we could seize.”

“This war diminishes our security, our standing in the world, our military, our economy, and the resources that we need to confront the challenges of the 21st century,” Obama said. “By any measure, our single-minded and open-ended focus on Iraq is not a sound strategy for keeping America safe.”

Obama delivered the address on Iraq at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, ahead of a trip to Iraq and Afghanistan later this month.

In the remarks, Obama vowed to take “the fight to al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan”: “In fact – as should have been apparent to President Bush and Senator McCain – the central front in the war on terror is not Iraq, and it never was.

“We’ve been distracted from our most pressing threats, and we’ve pushed the entire burden of our foreign policy on to the brave men and women of our military—while neglected the other elements of American power,” he said. “And we’ve alienated ourselves from the world instead of strengthening our alliances.”

More

[Wineslob]

“This war diminishes our security, our standing in the world, our military, our economy, and the resources that we need to confront the challenges of the 21st century,” Obama said. “By any measure, our single-minded and open-ended focus on Iraq is not a sound strategy for keeping America safe.”

Obama= NO CLUE   

[DixieBelle]

heh. I just posted his tap dancing stances on Iraq in the Obama scrubs site thread.

What a fool. A dangerous fool.

[Doc]

Actually, he is trying to move to the "center" without losing his anti-war moonbat base.......an impossible task, as they are the only ones listening to him at this point in the campaign.....

doc

[Wretched Excess]

anyone that thinks that afghanistan was a bigger global threat to US security than iraq was when the war got underway is just delusional.  jeez, we had to bomb them UP to the stone age.  the taliban fell to pieces fairly quickly, and ever since then they have been a very limited, very regional threat.

[DixieBelle]

This is interesting. http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MmU2N2FmYjA4MDBhNDQ0MjYxZmQwMzlhODYxN2QzN2E=

At some point, Democrats decided that facts didn’t matter anymore in Iraq. And they nominated just the man to reflect the party’s new anti-factual consensus on the war, a Barack Obama who has fixedly ignored changing conditions on the ground.

It’s gotten harder as the success of the surge has become undeniable, but — despite some wobbles — Obama is sticking to his plan for a 16-month timeline for withdrawal from Iraq. He musters dishonesty, evasion and straw-grasping to try to create a patina of respectability around a scandalously unserious position.

SNIP

Obama spokesmen now say everyone knew that President Bush’s troop surge would create more security. This is blatantly false. Obama said in early 2007 that nothing in the surge plan would “make a significant dent in the sectarian violence,” and the new strategy would “not prove to be one that changes the dynamics significantly.” He referred to the surge derisively as “baby-sit(ting) a civil war.”

Now that the civil war has all but ended, he wants to claim retroactive clairvoyance. In a New York Times op-ed laying out his position, Obama credits the heroism of our troops and new tactics with bringing down the violence. Our troops have always been heroic; what made the difference was the surge strategy that Obama lacked the military judgment — or political courage — to support.

In his oped, Obama states that “the same factors that led me to oppose the surge still hold true,” citing the strain on the military, the deterioration in Afghanistan and the fiscal drain. All of those are important, but pale compared with the achievement in Iraq — beating back al-Qaida and Iranian-backed militias, and restoring a semblance of order to a country on the verge of a collapse from which only our enemies could have benefited.

Politically, Obama has to notionally support defeating al-Qaeda in Iraq, so even after he’s executed his 16-month withdrawal, he says there will be a “residual force” of American troops to take on “remnants of al-Qaida.” How can he be so sure there will only be “remnants”? If there are, it will be because the surge Obama opposed has pushed al-Qaeda to the brink. The more precipitously we withdraw our troops, the more likely al-Qaeda is to mount a comeback.

SNIP

Obama loves to say that we have to withdraw from Iraq “responsibly.” There’s nothing responsible about his plan. According to U.S. commanders on the ground, it may not even be logistically possible. Does Obama even care? He says that when he’s elected he’d give the military a new mission — to end the war. Conditions in Iraq, let alone winning, are marginalia.

There are two possible interpretations — either Obama is dangerously sincere, or he’s a cynical operator playing duplicitous politics with matters of war and peace. Watch this space.

Ooooobama, thank you for making me excited about pulling the lever for McCain. I wasn't before, but now I'm getting there.

[Wretched Excess]

Obama spokesmen now say everyone knew that President Bush’s troop surge would create more security.

good gawd!

[Wretched Excess]

why would he be setting his war policy just before he visits iraq and afghanistan?

because he thinks that he already knows what they are going to say, or because he doesn't care what they
are going to say?

[Jim]

why would he be setting his war policy just before he visits iraq and afghanistan?

because he thinks that he already knows what they are going to say, or because he doesn't care what they
are going to say?

Because MoveOn told him to.

[TheSarge]

Well Barakstar! has just shown us that he is caving to the nutroots radical left in this country.

He tried to pivot to the center and got slammed from all sides.

This is his apology to them for straying from the hive.

[Wretched Excess]

why would he be setting his war policy just before he visits iraq and afghanistan?

because he thinks that he already knows what they are going to say, or because he doesn't care what they
are going to say?

Because MoveOn told him to.

ah, I see.  because it's non-negotiable.  makes sense.

[Jim]

why would he be setting his war policy just before he visits iraq and afghanistan?

because he thinks that he already knows what they are going to say, or because he doesn't care what they
are going to say?

Because MoveOn told him to.

ah, I see.  because it's non-negotiable.  makes sense.

he's been hearing from the money people.

[Wretched Excess]

why would he be setting his war policy just before he visits iraq and afghanistan?

because he thinks that he already knows what they are going to say, or because he doesn't care what they
are going to say?

Because MoveOn told him to.

ah, I see.  because it's non-negotiable.  makes sense.

he's been hearing from the money people.

you may very well have the explanation.  I have been reading in a number of places that his donations are down.

[Jim]

he's been hearing from the money people.

you may very well have the explanation.  I have been reading in a number of places that his donations are down.

There were many in the far left that hated HRC because of what they saw as her very hawkish attitude over Iraq and who loved BHO for his (seeming) desire to cut and run.  Each time he tried to moderate this stance he's been smacked back in line.  Only money has that power.

[dandi]

Well, I can't stand anymore of this ****ing idiot.  I guess I won't be sitting this presidential election out.

[Jim]

Well, I can't stand anymore of this ******* idiot.  I guess I won't be sitting this presidential election out.

I know its sort of a cliche to say every time that 'we just can't let this clown get elected' but damned if the donkeys don't outdo themselves each cycle finding an even more unacceptable candidate to run.

This guy is so clueless that even McCain starts to look acceptable.  All I hope for out of McC is decent SCOTUS judges and a single term while we prep an actual conservative to rally around.  Be that GOP or otherwise.

[dandi]

Well, I can't stand anymore of this ******* idiot.  I guess I won't be sitting this presidential election out.

I know its sort of a cliche to say every time that 'we just can't let this clown get elected' but damned if the donkeys don't outdo themselves each cycle finding an even more unacceptable candidate to run.

This guy is so clueless that even McCain starts to look acceptable.  All I hope for out of McC is decent SCOTUS judges and a single term while we prep an actual conservative to rally around.  Be that GOP or otherwise.

It just sickens me that it's come to this in this country, that these two egomaniacal clowns are the best we can put forth in the greatest country on earth.

*sigh*

This election will truly be like going to the sex toy shop:  You pick the one that will hurt the least.

[Wretched Excess]

Well, I can't stand anymore of this ****ing idiot.  I guess I won't be sitting this presidential election out.

cha-ching.

[Hawkgirl]

Ok...so let me get this straight...He's running an "Anti-War" campaign....when REALLY...he wants to continue the war, just move it to Afghanistan and Pakistan??  He needs to lay down the crackpipe.

[Rebel]

Actually, he is trying to move to the "center" without losing his anti-war moonbat base.......an impossible task, as they are the only ones listening to him at this point in the campaign.....

doc

If he can successfully do that, then he truly is the Antichrist.

[AllosaursRus]

Actually, he is trying to move to the "center" without losing his anti-war moonbat base.......an impossible task, as they are the only ones listening to him at this point in the campaign.....

doc

If he can successfully do that, then he truly is the Antichrist.

That's the ONLY way this idiot is going to get elected, if the devil pulls some favors owed from his fellow partners in crime!  

[NHSparky]

Actually, he is trying to move to the "center" without losing his anti-war moonbat base.......an impossible task, as they are the only ones listening to him at this point in the campaign.....

doc

If he can successfully do that, then he truly is the Antichrist.

That's the ONLY way this idiot is going to get elected, if the devil pulls some favors owed from his fellow partners in crime!  

Or Hillary rolls over and plays dead--anyone think that's gonna happen?

[Airwolf]

I can't for the life of me imagine how anyone in the Pentagon is going to honestly look at that fool and believe the Bullshit he'll be shovelling.

[NHSparky]

I can't for the life of me imagine how anyone in the Pentagon is going to honestly look at that fool and believe the Bullshit he'll be shovelling.

Go back to 1992 and look at the leadership we got coming from THAT debacle.  They might not believe it, but they'll eat it with a spoon and ask for seconds if it means getting extra stars, right Wesley Clark?

[TheSarge]

I can't for the life of me imagine how anyone in the Pentagon is going to honestly look at that fool and believe the Bullshit he'll be shovelling.

They just dust off the instruction manual they used during the Carter and Clinton years.