At first Senator Obama stated he would have the troops out in 16 months, if elected. Now, he is going to “refine” his position based upon the facts on the ground.
The fact that his 16 month plan was designed out of ignorance of the facts on the ground and designed to garner support for the nomination from the virulent anti-war leftists controlling the democratic party apparatus, has been lost on only those who will blind themselves to the truth of Senator Obama’s empty rhetoric and complete lack of experience in foreign policy.
In truth, Senator Obama has no idea what he might do and is now in the process of planning his second ever trip to Iraq so that his policy can again be refined. However, any plan Senator Obama might come up with between now and February-March of next year is not going to matter. There is another player in this situation that Senator Obama has not once mentioned when he talks about his policy - the Iraqi government.
Barak Obama’s timetable has no thought whatsoever to the benefit of anyone aside from the standpoint of shaping American public opinion. Even a “refined” policy on Iraq will be devoid of any logical requirement that the Iraqi’s can handle their own security, except from the disingenuous standpoint of knowing that the security situation is much improved. Senator Obama could hardly acknowledge that 18 provinces have been handed over to Iraqi administration and security; or that the MNF is now able to visit shopkeepers in areas today that no one visited a year ago, no matter how heavily armed.
Further, Senator Obama could not possibly allow his supporters to embrace another inconvenient fact. The Iraqi government has matured a great deal - although they have a long way to go. The Iraqi government has more recently set expectations for their own self-sufficiency and their relationship with the United States. Here is a great example:
The United States and Iraq are in talks about a military alliance. Now, that generally means a desire for “permanent” military bases of some sort in Iraq. This would be much like the military bases we have in several other countries - Turkey, Germany, Japan, Korea, etc. As a part of the bargain, the Iraqi government is calling for a timetable for withdrawal of US forces. This demand presupposes a great deal, which I am positive the Iraqi government is aware of. The Iraqi government must be capable of dealing with their internal security problems almost entirely. The other aspect of this negotiation with the Iraqi government is that it is also a “post-war” security deal.
Today - right now - the Iraqi and US governments are beginning talks about a post-war alliance. This points specifically to a “light at the end of the tunnel” aspect to the war in Iraq. Senator Obama’s “plan”, whatever it is, for troop US withdrawal is irrelevant. It is happening without him.
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