Obama Advisor: 60,000 Troops Should Stay In Iraq Through 2010

New York Sun:

A key adviser to Senator Obama's campaign is recommending in a confidential paper that America keep between 60,000 and 80,000 troops in Iraq as of late 2010, a plan at odds with the public pledge of the Illinois senator to withdraw combat forces from Iraq within 16 months of taking office.

The paper, obtained by The New York Sun, was written by Colin Kahl for the center-left Center for a New American Security. In "Stay on Success: A Policy of Conditional Engagement," Mr. Kahl writes that through negotiations with the Iraqi government "the U.S. should aim to transition to a sustainable over-watch posture (of perhaps 60,000-80,000 forces) by the end of 2010 (although the specific timelines should be the byproduct of negotiations and conditions on the ground)."

Read the whole story: New York Sun

Comments

[ResidentChimp]

And how is this different from President Bush and Senator McCain?

[transendentilist]

It's not. I am beginning to think it doesn't really matter who wins. I think there may be a shadow government, and the elections are still being held, to appease the average Joe/Jane.

[Brgotn]

Obama's advisor's probably explained to him the consequences of recklessly pulling all of or troops out of Iraq.

[Colonial82]

He is different, read the article and actually listen to him

[CarlyCorday]

Trans, I'm afraid you are right; not certain of it, but still, probably, you are right.

I mean, what kind of title is "Stay on Success" for a plan to end an illegal war, signed onto by the Candidate for Change and Hope? WHAT success? It's pure Orwellian doublespeak. Too bad that term has been so overused it doesn't even rate a chuckle anymore. It wasn't overused in vain, either, just overused because it's needed so often, it's now worn out.

I had nearly changed my "loyalty" over to the other Democrat, HRC, until 3primerib left several posts that sobered me up in the nick of time, reawakened me to the fact that HRC is the candidate for HRC, and nothing else. Screw the troops. Screw the country. Screw the world. It's her SUPPORTERS who give us the truer picture of HRC.

Obama '08
Still the best we've got.

[shockmagog]

It's different because one of Obama's advisers is suggesting it. You can look at it as who would most likely do the right thing, listen to the military, properly interpret reality, etc. The answer is quite clear.

[jmk65]

but isn't one of obama's arguments for supplementing his inexperience is to surround himself with experienced advisors? presidents must have them in order to run the country. i'm assuming he picks his advisors based on his opinions or for their expertise. wouldn't you?

[Dandy12]

We sure seem to have attracted some people who simply don't grasp that advisers give advice and do not make policy. Perhaps in the Bush/Chaney administration, they surrounded themselves with such like minded people, the roles became indistinguishable...

Obama is a thinking person, and probably doesn't surround himself with a bunch of American Enterprise Institute or Project for a New American Century types that a are thus far (in the 21st Century) seem hell bent on destroying America (so much for an enterprise that is counterproductive!), and involving us in some kind of perpetual war all under the umbrella of "spreading democracy". Where has our democracy gone anyway?

Let's call Obama names, Rovian style. McCain is probably the biggest flip-flopper and destructive neocon of them all!

[jmk65]

when will the obama excuse book be published. the double standard with clinton is unbelievable.

[terriergirl]

well, this is the SECOND Obama advisor with the same position....and I don't hear Obama clarifying this at all.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

Let me see if I have this right.

Hillary's adviser, Mark Penn, has a comapny that is also working on Free Trade issues. he is doing this work for his company, not his campaign. The article for this is posted on this same page.

Obama supporters ar attacking Hillary for this in their comments on that article.

Now an Obama adviser has a different opinion about Iraq withdrawl, the major position of Obama's campaign, than Obama and the same people who attack Clinton for Penn are giving Obama a free pass for Mr Kahl.

Would you call this SELECTIVE reasoning or just a lack of reasoning? What do they have in that Kool-Aid anyway?

[indieskip]

How does this conflict with what Obama has been saying? He stated that he wants to get all the troops out within 16 months of his starting the presidency. Unless I have the month wrong, if he starts in January 2009, wouldn't it take until mid 2010 to deliver on what he is saying?

This just seems like simple math.

[transendentilist]

Why does Hillary say she will begin re-deployment within the first 60 days??? Wow, what a war monger. Funny how the "dove," says it will take over a year to "begin," withdrawing troops.

[Colonial82]

Redeploy to Iran

[CarlyCorday]

See, here you are defending the candidate, not his actions and intent. This is the problem. This is how we ended up in Iraq. Loyalty to a freaking person.

Please, keep an eye on Obama's actions, be able to defend those, don't be a hillary supporter with the h-word merely replaced with the o-word. We need a president. We need change. We don't "love" Obama, we are hiring him for a big job. RIGHT??

[Colonial82]

What actions have he done to show he won't get out of Iraq?

[indieskip]

No, I am doing math. It seems that if the logic doesn't fit your argument, somehow, all Obama supporters must be wrong.

This is how Clinton is losing the independent vote. We independents don't like be bullied or accused of being in love with anyone.

I might drink Kool laid, but at least I like the flavor.

[transendentilist]

I think far too many Obmians are looking for a saviour not a president. Not all, but all this pie-in-the-sky politics has been done over and over throughout the decades, and it never came to be. After the election, a candidate starts to foget who hired him.
Obama's campagin rhetoric is hollow. It is too high minded to be realized in today's America. The comments here prove that. Including my own at times.
Obama always speaks in abstractions, and rarely in empirical evidence. He sounds noble as hell, but if you listen to what he says, it's just pie-in-the-sky politics.

[wayoutleft]

does anyone believe that if barack (or hil) led dems sweep house & senate they will be permitted to simply board the troops onto giant transports and fly them back to fort wherever, kansas? i'm afraid the people that brought you the paul wellstone plane crash just before this war needed the senate rubber stamp don't see it that way. their first line of defense is to work a deal with barack and let him compete; the 2d line of defense is to damage barack politically enough to insure he's denied the presidency; the third would be to assassinate him. this is the kind of ground barack is walking. stick with him for now.

[McSurgent]

This is why that even though most Americans want out of Iraq, they most trust John McCain to be able to do it.

[Colonial82]

No they don't, where have you seen that data?

[wayoutleft]

that was in the free republic get off my lawn poll. by a wide margin, most americans are way to the right of mccain on the war. they oppose withdrawing the troops after 100 years.

[shockmagog]

Funny!

'LONDON (AFP) - Withdrawing US forces from Iraq would hand victory to Al-Qaeda, US Republican presidential hopeful John McCain said here Thursday on the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq.'
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080320/pl_afp/iraqwar5yearsusvotebritainmccain_080320141707

[CarlyCorday]

ROTFLMAO, McSurgent, are you old and crazy too? Put your glasses on when you read the polls and the newspapers! Hearing-aid might not hurt either.

PEACE,
Carly
(old yes,
crazy no
deaf no
blind no.)

[jmk65]

ok no need to call names on these posts.

[research]

I hope Obama does not take this advice. Kucinich and others were willing to state that the Iraq war crime was immoral, and should be ended ASAP. The MSM shut them out.

The NY Sun is a right wing pro Israel paper:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Sun

“Both Mr. Kahl and a senior Obama campaign adviser reached yesterday said the paper does not represent the campaign’s Iraq position. “

http://www.nysun.com/politics/obama-adviser-calls-troops-stay-iraq-through-2010

The Sun doesn't like Obama or Hillary, because The Sun loves the Iraq war crime.

http://www.nysun.com/editorials/ready-obama

They also repeat the NAFTA Canada lie about Obama.

[jmk65]

are you implying being pro-israel means you are right wing? i hope not.

[research]

Good point. I am pro Israel.

more like: Fanatically pro militant Israel at the expense of all other peoples in the middle east, and beyond the best interests of the USA and the world.

[McSurgent]

Maybe Obama just wants to establish some Commander in Chief cred!!!!

[transendentilist]

By doing what the present CIC has been doing all along???? Keep in mind that it was Obama's "advisor," that said this. Although I don't hear Obama correcting him.

[transendentilist]

Who are we to believe? Obama says 16 months, and his advisor says 2 years? This is a pretty big disparity, and a worrisome one.

Hillary the "war monger," says she'll start redeploying troops out of Iraq within the first 60 days of her presidency. That's better than the supposed "dove," Obama.

[Colonial82]

Again not true, he said it would take 16 to get ALL out, it would start right away pulling them out battlions at a time

[transendentilist]

No, he did not. I watched him say it in the debates. I'm glad he's listening to his advisors, if indeed he is, but for someone who is supposed to...."be against the Iraq war from the beginning," just doesn't jive.
In my day, (60s) when someone said they were against a war, they damn sure didn't finance it. Hillary votes to finance it as well, but she never claimed to be against this war from the beginning

[CostaMesaJoe]

Hillary says a lot of things.

We should not have been in Iraq TO BEGIN WITH.

Try not to forget your QUEEN had a vote that put our soldiers there in the first place.....

[transendentilist]

Another dishonest Obamian. The vote was to authorize military force IF Saddam would not let the inspectors back in. Bush didn't give Saddam a chance to let inspectors back in. How is that Hillary's fault????? This is one of my biggest complaints about Obama.
If he is sooo agianst this war, why does he vote, right along with Hillary, to finance it???? And don't give me that old saw about loving the troops.
This is one of the main reasons there is such division in the democratic party. Obama the uniter??? I don't think so.
Sorry, I just don't consider Hillary, "my queen." She is my choice for the POTUS. In a representative democracy.

[kay]

16 months from January 2009 is 4 months into 2010.

Half out sounds about right, depending on events.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

The article says LATE 2010, not 4 months into 2010.

If his original plan was to be out in 16 months, halfway would be in 8 months.

[CarlyCorday]

Anyone going along with this, making excuses for it, is exactly the same as your blind, heedless, nut-bag Hillary supporters who won't listen to logic or give up even if the party crumbles to dust around them. Or the bushies who have been doing the same for THEIR "fearless leader." If, before even being nominated, Barack Obama has decided on keeping 60,000 troops in Iraq through 2010, it's time for me to start rooting for the other Democrat. I have no loyalty to any "person." It's the candidate's ideas, his or her actions and intent, that I'm loyal to. And that is IT.

[Colonial82]

Obama has NEVER said anything like this, he has been consistent in saying all out by 16months, a couple battlions at a time. This was an advisor, please read the article.

[CostaMesaJoe]

Did this statement come out of Obama's mouth?

NO.
It came from an advisor who RECOMMENDED this option.

You know, Barack just might be the one candidate that will actually follow through with his own thoughts and ideas.

Unlike certain candidates that react to polling data.

[CostaMesaJoe]

Did this statement come out of Obama's mouth?
NO.
It came from an advisor who RECOMMENDED this option.

You know, Barack just might be the one candidate that will actually follow through with his own thoughts and ideas.

Unlike certain candidates that react to polling data.

[ultramagnetic]

1. It says Overwatch, not active combat.
2. I'm not seeing 'In Iraq'. Overwatch could very well be in Kuwait
3. The Biggie: Jan '09 to May '10 equals 16 months.
4. This is a paper by one of his advisors, not him.

[transendentilist]

Don't try to spin this. Overwatch? What is this suppose to mean?? Obama says he prefers surrounding himself with advisors, instead of doing the work himself. He said this in one of the debates. So who is he listening to, and what are they telling him???

[wolverinesm]

"Don't try to spin this." And then you go on to blatantly lie and say that "Obama says he prefers surrounding himself with advisors, instead of doing the work himself." He has never said any such thing. I would venture to guess that no politician in the history of the world has ever said any such thing. It would be political suicide. Please try to stick to a fact.

[MariaHopeful]

You know, if you profess to believe that Obama is a different type of leader then we ought to be able to learn some things from him. He is calm and deliberative and does not just fly off the handle at even the most inflammatory remarks. If you read the article, it says his "advisor," one of his advisors. Second, 2010 is just one year away from 2009! And as he has said over and over again, we have to be as careful getting out as we were getting in. Let's get a grip!

[CarlyCorday]

Okay, I am simmering down. This is good, ultramag, makes sense. Same with Kay's comment. I'll watch and see, and not fly off the handle yet. Thank you. (Re-reading the article, and saving it.)

[booksnmore4you]

Let's be clear!

Obama has A BROAD SPECTRUM OF ADVISERS. They are not yes-men.

Some are placed BECAUSE they disagree with him.

This is called LISTENING to all sides of an issue rather than insulating yourself, and facilitating Groupthink within your inner circle, as Bush has done.

[transendentilist]

Are you kidding? This is exactly how bush and cheney govern. A broad spectrum of advisors??? Such as?

[Colonial82]

Actually no it is not, he only had YES men/women or you got fired/resigned

[MariaHopeful]

Do you freaken expect him to do everything himself? Don't be an idiot!

[ZJones]

"Change?" For sure. Flip-flop, flip-flop, flip flop

[Dandy12]

Most intelligent people seek advice from others with whom they do not agree. In making determinations, an intelligent person might even weigh the extremes at both ends of the spectrum.
At this juncture, Obama appears to be a man of his word, and seems very unlike the Bush/Cheney liars of say one thing, fabricate, and do something once thought out of character or opposite to what was said before. Like Cheney said, "we said alot of things during the campaign, but we're in charge now". Sounds like some other country than ours, doesn't it?? These frauds (Bush/Cheney, et al folks) have jaded many Americans to the point that it's near impossible to trust anyone!