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“I made it clear that by Aug. 31, 2010, America’s combat mission in Iraq would end,” Obama announced to cheers at the national convention of Disabled American Veterans. “And that is exactly what we are doing — as promised and on schedule.”
On the left, Iraq war skeptics must reconcile themselves to the reality that a president who shares their skepticism — Obama once called it a “dumb war” — is declaring the end to the combat mission but still proposing to leave 50,000 U.S. troops in the country.
Declaring victory in shaky Iraq
So, are all of the troops really going to be out of Iraq soon? Well, not exactly. All of the combat troops are going home, but a few are staying:
Fifty thousand left doesn't seem like a withdrawal, exactly, does it?
that's not quite what he promised..... It's easy to keep "Deadlines" when you can change the date at will. :shrug:
how has the result been different than his promise?
Obama: 'By Aug. 31, 2010, Combat Mission in Iraq Will End' - ABC NewsPromised "18 monts" over a several month timespan
Promise out by "aug 31st", now its begin withdrawing by aug 31st....
For starters.
Feb. 27, 2009
President Obama made it official today, announcing that he will end U.S. combat operations for the majority U.S. troops in Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010.
Within 18 months, officials expect that 90,000 of the current 142,000 U.S. troops in Iraq will have withdrawn, leaving between 35,000 and 50,000 troops to train, equip and advise Iraqi Security Forces, support the Iraqi government and conduct targeted counterterrorism missions.
Obama: 'By Aug. 31, 2010, Combat Mission in Iraq Will End' - ABC News
I'm guessing when he was elected he finally got all the details and became aware that maybe getting the majority of the troops out by 16 months after his inauguration was too quick and came up with the new strategy, which apparently he is following. He said from the very beginning that everything depends on the conditions on the ground.
I see this as good news depending on when were able to get a good bit of those 50000 troops out of there after they are done.
WASHINGTON, Aug 3, 2010 (IPS) - Seventeen months after President Barack Obama pledged to withdraw all combat brigades from Iraq by Sep. 1, 2010, he quietly abandoned that pledge Monday, admitting implicitly that such combat brigades would remain until the end of 2011.
Even the concept of "ending the U.S. combat mission" may be highly misleading, much like the concept of "withdrawing U.S. combat brigades" was in 2009.
The official also acknowledged that the troops will engage in some combat but suggested that the combat would be "mostly" for defensive purposes.
That language implied that there might be circumstances in which U.S. forces would carry out offensive operations as well.
Where did he say he did it in 18 months?
Ever since shortly after his inauguration he's said that we will start withdrawal and end the combat mission on Aug 31. That's what's happening apparently.
Are you irked that he changed the plan after he was elected or do you think he just recently changed it?
I suppose it can be spun whichever way the spinner wants, but the bottom line is that the US is going to have troops in Iraq and Afganistan for a very long time to come. Maybe not "combat" troops, but what other kind of troops are there in a war zone? Are they going to be like the troops we have in Germany, doing what again? Drinking beer and chasing fraulines?
That little invasion that was going to last "maybe six weeks, maybe six months, but I doubt six months" is going to last for another decade or two at least.
ALL DURING THE CAMPAIGN.... :doh:
I started threads on it back then. :lol:
No need to be a dick about it.
It was a question because what you were pointing out was less than obvious. After his election he addressed the troops and said we'd start pulling out Aug. 31, after talking it over with the generals, but you're getting upset that he had a different date before the election. He always said that he'd consider the conditions on the ground and he obviously did. Complaining about that seems petty at best.
You were very correct when you pointed out that your complaint was "nitpicky".
Iraq war
Main article: Iraq War
During his presidential transition, President-elect Obama announced that he would retain the incumbent Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, in his Cabinet.[180]
On February 27, 2009, Obama declared that combat operations would end in Iraq within 18 months. His remarks were made to a group of Marines preparing for deployment to Afghanistan. Obama said, "Let me say this as plainly as I can: By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end."[181] The drawdown is scheduled to be completed by August 2010, decreasing troops levels from 142,000 while leaving a transitional force of 35,000 to 50,000 in Iraq until the end of 2011. The plan is to transition the mission of the remaining troops from combat operations to counter-terrorism and the training, equipping, and advising of Iraqi security forces.[182]
Barack Obama - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
IRAQ
STATEMENT: “Based on the conversations we’ve had internally as well as external reports, we believe that you can get one to two brigades out a month. At that pace, the forces would be out in approximately 16 months from the time that we began. That would be the time frame that I would be setting up,” Obama to the New York Times, November 1, 2007
EXPIRATION DATE: March 7, 2008: Obama foreign policy adviser Samantha Power, to the BBC: “You can’t make a commitment in whatever month we’re in now, in March of 2008 about what circumstances are gonna be like in Jan. 2009. We can’t even tell what Bush is up to in terms of troop pauses and so forth. He will of course not rely upon some plan that [Obama has] crafted as a presidential candidate or as a US senator.”
Also: July 3, 2008: “My 16-month timeline, if you examine everything I’ve said, was always premised on making sure our troops were safe,” Obama told reporters as his campaign plane landed in North Dakota. “And my guiding approach continues to be that we’ve got to make sure that our troops are safe, and that Iraq is stable. And I’m going to continue to gather information to find out whether those conditions still hold.”
STATEMENT: On June 14, Obama foreign-policy adviser Susan Rice called the RNC’s argument that Obama needed to go to Iraq to get a firsthand look “complete garbage.”
EXPIRATION DATE: On June 16, Obama announced he would go to Iraq and Afghanistan “so he can see first hand the progress of the wars he would inherit if he’s elected president.”
I suppose it can be spun whichever way the spinner wants, but the bottom line is that the US is going to have troops in Iraq and Afganistan for a very long time to come. Maybe not "combat" troops, but what other kind of troops are there in a war zone? Are they going to be like the troops we have in Germany, doing what again? Drinking beer and chasing fraulines?
That little invasion that was going to last "maybe six weeks, maybe six months, but I doubt six months" is going to last for another decade or two at least.
Are you irked that he changed the plan after he was elected or do you think he just recently changed it?
However, if he does not have all troops out of Iraq by the end of this year, he will face a difficult race in 2012.
Obama has changed a few of his promises or "commitments" which is often used as a a weaker word than promise since it essentially means "Ill try hard" rather than "I will." However things in war never stay the same, and whats more important is that he makes a pragmatic decision towards an achievable goal instead of trying to keep a promise made years, a year, or months ago.
Which is why when I heard Obama moved back the timetable on Iraq and Afghanistan, I thought "Thats probably a good idea looking at the current situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, not the political situation in the US."
Don't make promises you can't or don't intend to keep. It was stupid of Obama to ever put a timetable on the withdrawal of troops. IMHO, he only did it to pander for votes from the anti-war crowd.
Obama has changed a few of his promises or "commitments" which is often used as a a weaker word than promise since it essentially means "Ill try hard" rather than "I will." However things in war never stay the same, and whats more important is that he makes a pragmatic decision towards an achievable goal instead of trying to keep a promise made years, a year, or months ago.
Which is why when I heard Obama moved back the timetable on Iraq and Afghanistan, I thought "Thats probably a good idea looking at the current situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, not the political situation in the US."
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