Obama Lays Out Clear Plan For Iraq Withdrawal In NY Times Op-Ed

THE call by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki for a timetable for the removal of American troops from Iraq presents an enormous opportunity. We should seize this moment to begin the phased redeployment of combat troops that I have long advocated, and that is needed for long-term success in Iraq and the security interests of the United States.

The differences on Iraq in this campaign are deep. Unlike Senator John McCain, I opposed the war in Iraq before it began, and would end it as president. I believed it was a grave mistake to allow ourselves to be distracted from the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban by invading a country that posed no imminent threat and had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. Since then, more than 4,000 Americans have died and we have spent nearly $1 trillion. Our military is overstretched. Nearly every threat we face -- from Afghanistan to Al Qaeda to Iran -- has grown.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Ramirez]

From Rich Lowry at NRO:
***

"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."

Read more at:
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MmU2N2FmYjA4MDBhNDQ0MjYxZmQwMzlhODYxN2QzN2E=

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

HuffPo is getting so old.

Tr0ll pretends to be anti-war blasts 0bama. Followed by several blogs of 0bama supporters buying into the lie they they are anti-war.

Tr0ll says surge worked 0bama is naive or something like that. Followed by blasts from 0bama supporters responding to tr0ll.

PUMA supporter saying 0bama is a fake and fraud and won't leave Iraq, but Hilllary would. No difference between 0bama and McBush to justify voting for McBush out of spite that Hilllary lost.

[johnwinner]

OK, I think I misunderstood you. please review your comments more carefully before posting, this was really hard to follow.

[johnwinner]

Before february, Hillary said she would stay in Iraq at least 4-12 years (depending on where she was giving her speech). That makes your post injcoherent. But of course you must be TrOll. Haha - now go.

[TrueIndy08]

16 months is a crock... I will say by the end of his 1st term... maybe!!!!

And please, I don't want to see the troops come out of Iraq only to go into Afghanistan.... that doesn't keep my husband home!!!!

Oh well, good things he is up for recruiting orders... then he can atleast stay home for 3 years

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

OK for you having your husband in Iraq for 100 years is the best option.

[NTO08]

Maybe TrueIndy and her husband know a little more about what is going on then you do? Than Barack does?
No one in the right mind thinks Obama will get troops out in 16 months...
As usual, empty and useless words.

[BobC46]

Before we withdraw troops from Iraq, we should complete the withdraw from Germany. Japan, Korea. It is just fair to do, they are on the waiting list much longer.

[TrueIndy08]

well... they are already beginning to bring the troops out of Japan... atleast USMC is.... soon, I believe by 2011... the Marines will be in Guam

[chumleypotts]

Withdraw troops from Iraq & send them to Afghanistan. I thought he was going to bring all the troops home. Guess I didn't read the fine print.

[Scott1560]

Obama will end the war just as McCain will end the war, just as anyone from either party will end the war. Deal w/it!

[NTO08]

Of course he will...he is not going to get us out in 16 months...mere propaganda to assuage the left in the party, and we all know what he thinks of the left...they don't LISTEN to him!

[genseric13]

Why not just order out the troops the first day you are in office? They always try to make everything seem so complicated to escape making clear cut decisions.

[HumeSkeptic]

I can think of one good reason : it would be dumb to do so.

[Ramirez]

Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression

Acceptance

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

LOL

[genseric13]

Not really. Remember what happened to Kennedy when he was perusing a withdrawal from Vietnam. It never happened. Order them out, it will still take some months to accomplish the task.

[HumeSkeptic]

This is a good op-ed. He put to rest all assertions that he has changed his position on Iraq - at least in the minds of all sane people.

.

[NTO08]

Nope.

[harveyr2]

So much for Senator Obama's judgment. and foreign policy skills He was WRONG about the surge (it is working) and now he wants to emulate the surge for Afghanistan (which will work). Why doesn't he think that the EU and NATO should surge in Afghanistan?

Obama is a political hack with experience insufficient to be a US Senator, not to mention POTUS.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Right the surge would not me necessary without the worse foreign policy mistake in US history by Boosh and McBush.

McBush was as wrong and Chenney saying we would be greeted as liberators and the war would be quick and inexpensive.

All his mistakes and thousands of lives are not eclipsed for thinking a surge would do half the job we were promised.

0bama was right on Afghanistan as being the real front on the war on terror. We have suffered more casualties this year in Afghanistan than Iraq and Bin Laden is still alive.

You saying McBush was right on the Iraq surge is like having successful surgery cutting off a diseased left leg after you cut of the right leg off by mistake.

[Gma11]

Thank you, Senator Obama. I look forward to your leadership. And to the safety of my family.

[NTO08]

Objectivity: Not using the word "CLEAR" to describe
Obama's Plan For Iraq Withdrawal In NY Times Op-Ed....

[HumeSkeptic]

It's an op-ed piece.

[NTO08]

I meant the headline from Huffpo, not Obama's article...

[danoj]

His ever so clear plan that has changed several times and will change several more i'm sure. Gaurantee troops still in Iraq at the end of his term.

[HumeSkeptic]

The plan has changed only inside the skulls of imbeciles.

[thehardertheycome]

Does McCain have a clear plan to remove them any quicker?

[MadeInAmerica]

Barack Obama's plan from the very first debate (did you watch them) is a 16 month plan to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq period. He has stated very plainly that it is the president's job to define the mission which will be to end the war using his timeline. He has also stated that he will consult with the Generals on the ground as to what strategies we should use in order to get out of Iraq within the timeline. He plans to refine (fine tune) those strategies so that the mission can be accomplished.
He has never said anything different. So I don't get your post.

[Marichu]

There is no perfect solution to Iraq. Traveling the path of least resistance will still be a struggle. The gradual redeployment of US troops will take years. And that may be contingent on the strength of Malaki and the Iraqi government. What happens if the situation deteriorates? Will US troops continue exiting or will there be another surge?
Whether this occurs or not, as a sovereign country, Iraq has the right to say it's time for the US to plan a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops.

[YeWeCanForFree]

JUST PUMP OIL IN IRAQ BABY!

I could care or less if surge is working or not in Iraq.

There are many theories why we went to Iraq. American people will argue until last cow come home for many years. We all know America lost war in Iraq long time ago. Let us just "squeeze a few lemons into a pitcher" in Iraq.

Obama and McCain will offer bunch energy policies depending upon their political strips. It will not have any immediate effect at the gas pump.

If you like to see immediate collapse of oil prices in the world market, America has very few options at their finger tips.

Only viable option is to pump oil 24/7 in Iraq. After all, we still occupy Iraq. We can still do whatever we want in Iraq.

http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2003/0512globalenvironment_luft.aspx

If Malaki can distribute $8,000 to his people (mostly our tax payers dollars), least Bush can do is pump oil in Iraq and give us FREE IRAQ OIL at the pump in the US.

Obama slogan should be JUST PUMP OIL IN IRAQ BABY!
Anything less than that is meaningless in today's context.

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

My,my,my......free oil,you all want free oil.There's a bunch of kids here that don't have a Dad or a Mom.Parents that lost children(I know they're grown up children).Let's honor their service by being the schoolyard bully and stealing their lunch money.I don't recall Iraqi's asking for our help to cull the population either.There's no winner in Iraq,only losers.

[genseric13]

The US doesn't fight wars anymore for the benefit of the people. It's always some high minded purpose where a handful of people get rich and the taxpayers get hosed. I think we should demand 10% of their oil for a period of 20 years or so. Otherwise, we are the biggest idiots in the history of the world.

[Marichu]

YeWeCanForFree

"Only viable option is to pump oil 24/7 in Iraq. After all, we still occupy Iraq. We can still do whatever we want in Iraq."

The general population in Iraq finds it harder to fill up their tank than we do.
It doesn't help if a country has a natural resource and can't take it to market or benefits its people.
And I venomously disagree with your statement "we can still do whatever we want in Iraq". Just because the US government has a lapse in moral and ethical judgment does not mean we perpetuate our mistake.

[RLKincaid]

Does anyone have any idea what will happen in Iraq when we pull out; or does it not matter? Will the Iraqi government be able to protect its own? Will it be able to resist Iran's efforts to take over? Do we care? Does either Senator address these questions?