Call him slippery or nuanced, Barack Obama's core position on Iraq has always been more ambiguous than audacious. Now it is catching up with him as his latest remarks are questioned by the Republicans, the mainstream media, and the antiwar movement. He could put his candidacy at risk if his audacity continues to shrivel.
I first endorsed Obama because of the nature of the movement supporting him, not his particular stands on issues. The excitement among African-Americans and young people, the audacity of their hope, still holds the promise of a new era of social activism. The force of their rising expectations, I believe, could pressure a President Obama in a progressive direction and also energize a new wave of social movements.
And of course, there is the need to end the Republican reign that began with a stolen election followed by eight years of war and torture, corporate gouging, environmental decay, domestic spying and right-wing court appointments, just in case we forget who Obama is running against.
Besides the transforming nature of an African-American presidency, the issue that matters most to me is achieving a peaceful settlement of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- and preventing American escalations in Iran and Latin America. From the beginning, Obama's symbolic 2002 position on Iraq has been very promising, reinforced again and again by his campaign pledge to "end the war" in 2009.
But that pledge also has been laced with loopholes all along, caveats that the mainstream media and his opponents [excepting Bill Richardson] have ignored or avoided until now. As I pointed out in Ending the War in Iraq [2007], Obama's 2002 speech opposed the coming war with Iraq as "dumb", while avoiding what position he would take once the war was underway. Then he wrote of almost changing his position from anti- to pro-war after a trip to Iraq. He never took as forthright a position as Senator Russ Feingold, among others. Then he adopted the safe, nonpartisan formula of the Baker-Hamilton Study Group, which advocated the withdrawal of combat troops while leaving thousands of American counter-terrorism units, advisers and trainers behind.
That would mean at least 50,000 Americans, including back up forces, engaged in counter-insurgency after the withdrawal of combat troops, a contradiction the media and Hillary Clinton failed to explore in the primary debates. To his credit, Obama said that these American units would not become caught up in a lengthy sectarian civil war, leaving the question of their role unanswered.
The most shocking aspect of Samantha Powers' forced resignation earlier this year was not that she called Hillary Clinton a "monster" off-camera, but that she flatly stated that Obama would review his whole position on Iraq once becoming president. Again, no one in the media or rival campaigns questioned whether this assertion by Powers was true. Since Obama credited Powers with helping for months in writing his book, The Audacity of Hope, her comments on his inner thinking should have been pounced upon by the pundits.
Finally, it has taken the pressure of the general election to raise questions about whether his parsed and lawyerly language is empty of credible meaning. Consider carefully his July 4 statements:
The first one, promising a "thorough reassessment" of his Iraq position later this summer:
"I've always said that the pace of our withdrawal would be dictated by the safety and security of our troops and the need to maintain stability" -- two conditions that could justify leaving American troops in combat indefinitely. "And when I go to Iraq and have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I'm sure I'll have more information and will continue to refine my policies" -- another loophole which could allow the war to drag on.
Then there came the later "clarification":
"Let me be as clear as I can be" [not, "let me be absolutely clear"].
"I intend to end this war." [intention only].
"My first day in office I will bring the Joint Chiefs of Staff in, and I will give them a new mission, and that is to end this war -- responsibly, deliberately, but decisively." [ Sounds positive, but "decisively" can mean by military threat in the worst case. And it's pure theatre, borrowed from Clinton, since the plans most likely will be drafted and finalized immediately after the November election.]
"And I have seen no information that contradicts the notion that we can bring our troops out safely at a pace of one or two brigades a month..." [but what if the military commanders on the ground assert that it is too dangerous to pull out those troops?]
Obama's position, which always left a trail of unasked questions, now plants a seed of doubt, justifiably, among the peace bloc of American voters who harbor a legacy of betrayals beginning with Lyndon Johnson's 1064 pledge of "no wider war" through Richard Nixon's "secret plan for peace" to Ronald Reagan's Iran-Contra scandal and the deep complicity of Democrats in the evolution of the Iraq War.
It is difficult to understand Obama's motivation. Perhaps it is his lifetime success at straddling positions and disarming potential opponents. Perhaps it is a lawyer's training. Perhaps being surrounded by national security advisers who oppose what they call "precipitous withdrawal", and pragmatic Democrats distinctly uncomfortable with their antiwar roots.
What is clear is that Obama is responsive to pressures from the grass-roots base of a party that is overwhelmingly in favor of a shorter timetable for withdrawal than his, and favoring diplomatic rather than military solutions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. At a time that public interest in the war is receeding before economic concerns, it is time for the strongest possible reassertion of voter demands for peace.
The challenge for the peace and justice movement is to avoid falling into Republican divide-and-conquer traps while maintaining a powerful and independent presence in key electoral states, including Congressional battlegrounds, between now and November. There should be at the least:
- A demand that Obama talk to legitimate representatives of the peace movement, not simply hawkish national security advisers.
- A Democratic platform debate and plank that is unequivocal in pledging to end the war and avoid military escalation elsewhere.
- An energized antiwar voter education campaign that builds towards a clear November peace mandate to end the military occupation and shifr to political and diplomatic approraches.
- An organizational strategy to widen the base of the antiwar movement through the presidential campaign in preparation for a massive peace mobilization in early 2009.
Grass-roots people power is the only force that can keep alive the astute sense of pragmatism that led Obama to criticize the coming war in 2002. The stakes are higher now, and the enemies far more shrewd, wishing to rip asunder the Obama coalition. The peace movement assumption should be that there is no one in Obama's inner circle of advisers to be counted on, no mainstream columnist to catch his eye with a persuasive column favoring withdrawal. They never have. Only the voice of the peace voters - and the countless activists who have volunteered on his behalf - can command his attention now.
For more developments and analysis, see 'Progressives for Obama' at progressivesforobama.blogspot.com
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Everything Obama has been saying from the start has included loopholes or has been vague. That's why it was so obvious that he was just another run-of-the-mill politician.
Ther is one aspect of Sen. Obama's recent statements regarding the "refinement" of his Iraq withdrawal position that an astonishingly large number of my lefty bretheren seem to be missing.
Would anyone disagree that it looks very likely that Barack Obama WILL BE inaugurated as President next January? (I personally know quite a few partisan Republicans who ALSO would not disagree)
Given that, squabbles about whether Obama"s STATEMENTS are calculated to attract "swing" voters, or are insulting to his "base fail to consider an audience much more important than either. That audience in a simpler time would be known as "the enemy".
Opposition to the war should not blind us to the fact that, like it or not, we DO HAVE a large number of American men and women in theater, and there REALLY ARE quite an array of folks that mean them serious harm!........ from the various militias, to anti-American terrorists lumped loosly under the term Al-Quaida, to the Iranians, the Syrians and even factions WITHIN the Al-Maliki government; ALL of whom have access to CNN and the internet.
I'd like to think Sen. Obama is speaking as much or more to THEM on this topic as he is to any particular voting bloc in the US....................................................................................tm
You, and Obama, and many other scribes can all speak to this.
WE invaded Iraq for no good reason.
WE put our soldiers in harm's way.
WE continue to occupy a sovereign nation that we invaded, proof positive of the FAILURE of our venture.
We have already FAILED.
Iraqis are suffering.
Sunni and Shia nationalist insurgents continue to oppose our invasion, occupation and the theft of their natural resources while we and our allies are killing their children.
If any American cannot understand the position of the Iraqi resistance, they have flag-colored glasses that are blinding their reason.
Muqtada al Sadr WILL fight a hundred year insurgent resistance type geurilla war, or he will be elected President.
So, really the choice is when to say we're sorry and we're leaving.
Then Muqtada and his Sunni nationalist counterparts will put down their guns and abandon their righteous resistance to our illegal invasion, our unconscionable occupation and our immoral attempts to legally steal their resources.
Obama's neoliberal agenda of protecting our troops and securing our interests is a harbinger for more of the same.
Much more.
You, and Obama, and many other scribes can all speak to this.
WE invaded Iraq for no good reason.
WE put our soldiers in harm's way.
WE continue to occupy a sovereign nation that we invaded, proof positive of the FAILURE of our venture.
We have already FAILED.
Iraqis are suffering.
Sunni and Shia nationalist insurgents continue to oppose our invasion, occupation and the theft of their natural resources while we and our allies are killing their children.
If any American cannot understand the position of the Iraqi resistance, they have flag-colored glasses that are blinding their reason.
Muqtada al Sadr WILL fight a hundred year insurgent resistance type geurilla war, or he will be elected President.
So, really the choice is when to say we're sorry and we're leaving.
Then Muqtada and his Sunni nationalist counterparts will put down their guns and abandon their righteous resistance to our illegal invasion, our unconscionable occupation and our immoral attempts to legally steal their resources.
Obama's neoliberal agenda of protecting our troops and securing our interests is a harbinger for more of the same.
Much more.
"joe Bhead"
Youll get no argument from me as to the immoral, illegal, and dishonest way the administration implemented and conducted the Iraq invasion and occupation.
That said, contrary to your highly naieve and romantic view of what you call the "resistance" THERE IS NO unified popular front in Iraq .
The resistance you seem to admire so is made up of dozens, if not HUNDREDS of factions,...........each selfishly and murderously pursuing power and united ONLY by their willingness to kill any and all who stand in their way, be they Shia, Sunni, women, children and most especially Americans.
I think you know that these bloodthirsty "freedom fighters" have DELIBERATELY killed HUNDREDS of times as many Iraqi children as US troops have.
I think you also know that the idea that the evil Mr. Al sader and the Sunni militias would lay down their arms and peacfully co-exist but for the presence of US security is PURE UNADULTERATED BULL S**T!
That you seem to ADMIRE these groups that strive daily to murder our sons and daughters in uniform, and blithely ignore the many thousnds of innocent Iraqis slaughtered in their ruthless quest for power ..........
I find disgusting and BENEATH CONTEMPT.
With absolute LACK of regard.............................................................tm
For me, it's not about being opposed to the war but rather being in possession of the kind of unparalleled depth and breadth of knowledge and capacity to implement a smart foreign policy. There was only one candidate, as you know, who fit this bill. But, the electorate/media/blogoshpere, in all of their collective wisdom, chose not to entrust the nation to the most qualified and best equipped candidate. Let's just hope that we all won't seriously regret that decision and have to endure the consequences.
Well said Liz, I fervently share that hope...........and hope further that Sen. Obama will have the humility and good sense to enlist the wisdom and energy of Sen. Biden to that end.
HIGHEST regards to you, old friend.....................................................tm
It has been clear since day one of Senator Obama's candidacy that he has not demonstrated an understanding of what will be required to end the civil war in Iraq and withdraw US troops without leaving a failed state behind. And, the same can be said about Senators Clinton and McCain, and all of the other many presidential hopefuls this past primary season...with the sole exception, of course, of the leader among Democrats on foreign policy, national security and constitutional matters whose impeccable and unimpeachable credentials were wholly unmatched by any of his presidential rivals, of either party.
Senator Biden is the only one, for anyone paying attention, who has developed and honed a comprehensive and viable strategy for promoting a sustainable political solution for the political problem that is Iraq. While Joe Biden has been gathering an overwhelming and unprecedented level of support from all corners for this plan, Senator Obama has been - by far - the most disingenuous of all the candidates when it comes to his rhetoric on Iraq which he has successfully used as compensation for his obvious paucity of foreign policy prowess.
I would suggest that he will need Joe Biden at his side as Vice President With Special Portfolio on Iraq, in waiting, if he hopes to prevail in the general election.
Obama: Just repeat after me:
"I will end the Iraq War crime and occupation within 1 year, hopefully faster. The details will required a full assessment on the conditions on the ground at that time. We will then select a withdrawal date and begin immediately transferring all responsibility and authorities to the Iraqis. Once our troops have left, If our embassy or our ambassadors are attacked, we will close our embassy there till such a time as we a guaranteed better security. If Iraq descends into further chaos, the USA will not go back in. Some other solution will have to be found. the USA needs a break from the endless task of trying to improve the world. "
Great post, maybe you should talk to the Obama campaign about a job before the neocons he currently seems to be surrounded with.
Note to Obama: Always be wary of Bushies deserting their chosen path to follow yours. More likely they are trying to lead you down a path of their own. And get some diplomats on your staff so you won't be blinded by the rhetoric of the war mongers whose jobs depend upon a continuation of the war.
Every one here seems to have forgotten that the Iraq is not our country and it is not governed by the POTUS. The current status of forces agreement expires 12/31/08 and Obama seems to have forgotten, along with many others, that we may just have to pack up and go home.
June 2008 -
"Iraq has another option that it may use," Maliki said during a visit to Amman, Jordan. "The Iraqi government, if it wants, has the right to demand that the U.N. terminate the presence of international forces on Iraqi sovereign soil."
"Maliki acknowledged that talks with the U.S. on a status of forces agreement "reached an impasse" after the American negotiators presented a draft that would have given the U.S. access to 58 military bases, control of Iraqi airspace and immunity from prosecution for both U.S. soldiers and private contractors."
http://rawstory.com/news08/2008/06/13/iraqi-pm-suggests-us-might-be-asked-to-leave/
Please take note that the Iraqi government is not concerned about a phased withdrawal and without the cover of the U.N. mandate, the US presence in Iraq will be seen for what it is - an armed occupation that has destabilized Iraq and the region.
And the insurgents will be seen for what they are - Freedom Fighters trying to protect their country from forces trying to destroy it! Our meddling has caused so much damage around the world, mostly in the name of Oil Almighty.
The "iraqi government" is basically an instrument of the U.S. occupation. Sure Maliki talks tough and talks about asking the U.S. to leave.
But he hasn't asked us to leave, has he?
Well I see that this weeks talking points and headlines for MSM will be Sen. Obama's netroot is once again attacking him on another stance. I just don't understand how someone who are suppose to be supporters are more critical of the candidate of their choice than the opponents. How hypocritical when you where the one's waving the red flag during the primaries about the opponent doing the reps job. Are you truly any better? Please don't rationalize about holding Sen. Onama's feet to the fire, because presently he's still the nominee. I'm not suggeting that one shouldn't have discussions pertaining to issues that alarm you, but there is a big difference between disussions and outright criticism for his every move, and stances. Talk about distractions, some of his supporters are doing a terrific job by threats of withholding their support (financially and campaigning), sitting out this election or voting for someone else just because ______. You fill in the blank because it's ever changing. Has the political process jaded you that much that you cannot trust anyone, give anyone a chance, or give someone some room to grow by processing constantly changing information in our global world? Go ahead and continue whining and sitting on your dollars and campaigning to punish Sen. Obama if you like, but who will really suffer in the end?
Where were all you progressives when we had a shot at nominating the real deal? Dennis Kucinich has the message and the positions and foremost the courage of his convictions but all we could do was go for the glitter. What the old saw about "all that glitters is not....". This is the bed we made and we damn well better get comfortable in it. McCain is not an option. So let's get with the program.
Well spoken. This primary season became about style, not substance, and making "token" history through identity politics, rather than changing the direction of the country in a more progressive direction.
The media never even covered Dennis Kucinich's stands on the issues, having already decided they wanted a beauty contest between the first ____ president and the first _____ president.
There WAS a candidate who supported universal health care in the race and it was Dennis Kucinich. Edwards had the the right interim, transitional plan. Kucinich would have also made sure we were out of Iraq without the waffling.
But issues had no role to play in the primaries about the clash and cults of personalities.
"Obama's position, which always left a trail of unasked questions, now plants a seed of doubt, justifiably, among the peace bloc of American voters who harbor a legacy of betrayals beginning with Lyndon Johnson's 1064 pledge of "no wider war" through Richard Nixon's "secret plan for peace" to Ronald Reagan's Iran-Contra scandal and the deep complicity of Democrats in the evolution of the Iraq War."
You are seriously comparing Obama to Johnson and Nixon for saying that any position evolves with time? I missed that on my first round through. Are you people out of your minds? There has certainly been betrayal - and not just from Johnson and Nixon, but from the New Left - which brought us a Nixon presidency and the "Progressive" movement, which has ushered in two terms of Bush, the war in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of deaths and atrocities - by acting like reactionaries, throwing their votes to Nader, and playing straight into Republican hands.
Well we tried but the Kennedys and the Kerrys would not have a Arkansas democrat back in their White House and you bought it. So please no whining when you lose again.Bill told you it was a fairytale and you cried racist at him and turned his black followers against him. So have them elect the next president and good luck to you.
When I voted for the Green Party in 2000, I was not being a "reactionary". I voted affirmatively to change the country in a better direction.
Look at Al Gore's weak campaign and unwillingness to fight for the victory he won before you blame people who voted for Nader.
Remove the log in your own eye before you attempt to remove the speck in someone else's.
The Democratic Party nominee is not "entitled" to anyone's vote, nor to triangulate against a voter and take that voter for granted, and expect to get that vote anyway.
Hello?? Here's a question I would like you and other so called progressives to answer -
What is the point of leaving a residual force of 50,000 troops in Iraq? Please attempt to answer that without resorting to that old sorry line - to fight terrorism.
Obama says we must leave trooops in Iraq to protect our national security interests. Sounds good. What upstanding citizen could disagree with that?
But what are our national security interests in Iraq?
Please answer me that - I submit that our national security in Iraq comes down to protecting Big Oil who are now pleased to have landed those no bid contracts in Iraq. Only took them 36 years to get back. How are they going to drill oil and screw the Iraqi people without our troops protecting their corporate interests? With our sons and daughters, of course.
Is that okay with you?
Well, somebody should point blank ask Obama who's gonna protect big oil when the troops pull out?
Until then, please, tell me, seriously, do you believe we have to "stay over there to avoid fighting them over here"?
Why must we leave 50,000 troops in Iraq really?
One more time - The Republicans openly committed crimes to give the 2000 and 2004 elections to Bush - Ralph Nader has never been the enemy.
The Republicans openly committed crimes but said they didn't and "you people" started saying the same thing - forget what happened during the election, we lost because of Nader - the Republicans say so and the Democrats in congress are silent. It has become your tiresome forever chant.
I am just as puzzled by "you people" who seem willing to sell out America one more time. I am of the opinion that you are all very fearful.
If people are that fearful it is understandable. This is a very scary time and people want a leader they can believe in. But I agree with you.
Besides this whole debate leaves out the most important factor - what are the troops staying in Iraq to protect? According to a lot of the reductionist/simplistic logic in some of these comments, the troops are staying to protect each other in the guise of protecting our 'national interests'.
But what are our national interests in Iraq? What are the 50,000 or so troops being left to protect?
The profits of Big OIL who won those no bid contracts - that was the goal of this war to begin with - and we all seem to have lost sight of that.
We are not in Iraq to fight terrorism. We are in Iraq to protect Exxon and its profits. Maybe the American people think that's just fine. I, for one, would rather ride a bike and cut back on energy consumption than have my kid die in Iraq to protect Exxon's bottom line.
The real question is - what are we there to fight for? Let Obama answer that and the logical followup question - who's gonna protect Big Oil? I am tired of politicians trotting out the old 'we gotta fight 'em over there' tag line. And Obama is doing just that when he says we need a residual force for 'counterterrorism' purposes. Substitute 'big oil' for 'counterterrorism' and you get
Same position that's it's always been. What's the matter with you people?
There is that "you people" again. Look -
I thought the point of his post was exactly that, Obama has not changed positions. Four months ago Samantha Powers said that withdrawal in 16 months was a best case scenario and was unlikely to actually happen. HC even tried to make an issue of Obama not being sincere about troop withdrawal until her own published plan for withdrawal was shown to be unlikely as well.
His website allows him wiggle room -
"Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda.
He has repeatedly said on the campaign trail that as president he would begin immediate withdrawal of our troops and have them out within 16 months but he failed to say that was only under certain conditions. People who thought Obama was the anti-war candidate who was actually going to withdraw troops from Iraq have not been paying attention.
"People who thought Obama was the anti-war candidate who was actually going to withdraw troops from Iraq have not been paying attention."
I think he will withdraw troops and will aggressive seek an end to the war. But he is going to do it in a responsible way.
Agreed, Tom...an outstanding piece.
I say, stop appeasing to get another kilovote. The base will grow even stronger if and only if that original primary character remains strong. Dilute it and we will notice and respond in kind. Compromise our will and we will respond.
America is a bit touchy about hidden agendas today. I'm sure Senator Obama understands. We need more than verbal assurances. We wan certainty, not mollification. The People have been played for fools far too long.
If Obama truly is an original, he must prove it long before the convention. Show us, Senator.
Precisely. Like my broken record below, I would like to know if the hidden agenda isn't protecting Big Oil and their no bid contracts. Is that why we need to leave 50,000 troops in Iraq - to protect ExxonMobile while they screw the American people at home and the Iraqi's abroad?
Why do we need to leave 50,000 troops in Iraq? For counterterrorism? To protect each other?
Whenever you hear a politician talk about 'counterterrorism' substitute the word 'oil' instead and his or her rhetoric suddenly (and sadly) makes perfect sense.
Spot on, as always; thanks. That said, simply yelling out "stop the war, I want to get off" won't do it either nor will voting for Ralph Nader (read: John McCain). The solution i
Posted July 4, 2008 | 05:18 PM (EST)