Obama Accomplishments and Plans: Part 1 - Iraq
Using Senator Obama’s website, thought we could take a look at some of his accomplishments that have prepared him for the presidency and at some of his plans and solutions to give us hope and change.
Direct from Obama’s website (with some thoughts as we journey down this path):
Bringing Our Troops Home
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.
Is that really a good idea? Do we want to leave a handful of troops in Iraq? One of the reasons Obama wants to pull our troops out is to get them out of harm’s way; wouldn’t this leave the remaining troops extremely vulnerable to attack? What does he mean when he says he will keep troops in Iraq if al Qaeda builds a base in Iraq? If we leave and they build a base, are we going right back? What if, being the tricky terrorists they are, al Qaeda doesn’t bother to build a “base” and just takes control of a major city, do we go back in then? How many troops is sufficient to protect our embassy and diplomats?
Assuming this is actually a good idea, to remove troops on an accelerated, non-condition based timetable, can it be done? What do the military folks have to say on the subject (h/t to Freedom’s Lighthouse):
Hmmm.. doesn’t sound like a promise Obama will be able to keep. Too bad he didn’t actually research the topic before reading the script in front of an audience.
Press Iraq’s Leaders to Reconcile
The best way to press Iraq’s leaders to take responsibility for their future is to make it clear that we are leaving. As we remove our troops, Obamawill engage representatives from all levels of Iraqi society - in and out of government - to seek a new accord on Iraq’s Constitution and governance. The United Nations will play a central role in this convention, which should not adjourn until a new national accord is reached addressing tough questions like federalism and oil revenue-sharing.
So we, the United States, whose congress can not agree on anything, with the help of the United Nations, who can’t agree on anything, will play a central role in forcing Iraqis to agree on everything. Is this before or after our troops leave? If they don’t agree do we leave faster, slower or stay until they agree? How does this work? Are they not a soveriegn nation now? Are they not a fledgling democracy? Is Obama suggesting that Iraq must do his bidding?
Regional Diplomacy
Obama will launch the most aggressive diplomatic effort in recent American history to reach a new compact on the stability of Iraq and the Middle East. This effort will include all of Iraq’s neighbors - including Iran and Syria. This compact will aim to secure Iraq’s borders; keep neighboring countries from meddling inside Iraq; isolate al Qaeda; support reconciliation among Iraq’s sectarian groups; and provide financial support for Iraq’s reconstruction.
Ya, just what we need, Syria and Iran having input into Iraq’s reconstruction. What does he plan to give Syria and Iran to stop them from “meddling inside Iraq”?
Humanitarian Initiative
Obamabelieves that America has a moral and security responsibility to confront Iraq’s humanitarian crisis - two million Iraqis are refugees; two million more are displaced inside their own country. Obamawill form an international working group to address this crisis. He will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own country can find a safe-haven.
Where does he get these numbers from? 4 million displaced/refugee Iraqi’s? What does displaced mean? They are not living where they were living 5 years ago? On the one hand Obama complains we are spending too much on Iraq, on the other he wants to hand AT LEAST $2 billion to neighboring countries to take care of Iraqi refugees, and on the other hand (three hands? no wonder all our pockets get emptied so quickly when Dems are in office), he wants neighboring countries to have a say in Iraq’s reconstruction… does he expect the neighboring companies to chip in a few bucks? Or will we be picking up the whole tab and give them an additional $2 billion PLUS bonus to cover the cost of all those Iraqi refugees. Oh, and some of the money goes to ensuring Iraqis inside their own country can find safe haven… ummm.. how do we do that if all our troops are leaving?
Barack Obama’s Record
Barack Obama opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning. In 2002, as the conventional thinking in Washington lined up for war, Obama had the judgment and courage to speak out against the war. He said the war would lead to “an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs and undetermined consequences.” In January 2007, Obama introduced legislation to responsibly end the war in Iraq, with a phased withdrawal of troops engaged in combat operations.
Ah yes, his record… those accomplishments that prepared him to be president. Starting with his “courage” to speak out against the war while a member of the Illinois state senate… oooo… how very, very brave. In a country where free speech is protected by our Constitution? To speak out while a state senator and say he thinks the war is a bad idea? Risky stuff. Oh… he forgot to mention he said the surge, driven by John McCain, was a tragic mistake. From his 1/5/07 podcast:
“I have to say that it is a chilling prospect, the notion that we would send tens of thousands of additional American young men and women to compound the tragic mistake that has already been made over the last four years.
“… In the face of this quagmire, the notion that we would put tens of thousands more young Americans in harm’s way without changing our fundamental strategy, a strategy that’s failed by almost every imaginable count , makes absolutely no sense. In escalating the war with a so-called surge of troops, the president would be overriding the express concerns of Generals on the ground, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group and the American people.”
Obama was wrong on every point then, and he is still wrong now. But let’s assume the “record” documented on his website is a positive one… what record? What did he do? Speak out against the war? That’s what he accomplished? Not exactly the type of experience we should be looking for to prep someone to be our next president.
The only other listing on the Iraq section of the website under the heading of “Barack Obama’s Record”:
Obama has a plan to immediately begin withdrawing our troops engaged in combat operations at a pace of one or two brigades every month, to be completed by the end of next year. He would call for a new constitutionalconvention in Iraq, convened with the United Nations, which would not adjourn until Iraq’s leaders reach a new accord on reconciliation. He would use presidential leadership to surge our diplomacy with all of the nations of the region on behalf of a new regional security compact. And he would take immediate steps to confront the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Iraq.
So this is listed as both a plan AND an accomplishment. Kinda like padding a term paper by repeating paragraphs. Sorry, -10 points, this is not an accomplishment; it barely qualifies as a plan and, as discussed earlier, is not even a viable plan.
So there you have it, our look at Obama’s accomplishments and plans in the area of Iraq policy. His plans are not well thought out and his accomplishments amount to saying he opposed the war when he was a state senator. Impressive indeed.
Stumble it!