Today Is Obama's Iraq Withdrawal Day
On January 30, 2007, Senator Barack Obama introduced the Iraq War De-escalation Act of 2007 in a speech from the floor of the U.S. Senate. In describing the proposed legislation he said,
"This plan would not only place a cap on the number of troops in Iraq and stop the escalation, more importantly, it would begin a phased redeployment of U.S. forces with the goal of removing all U.S. combat forces from Iraq by March 31, 2008."In a civil war where no military solution exists, this redeployment remains our best leverage to pressure the Iraqi government to achieve the political settlement between its warring factions that can slow the bloodshed and promote stability."
"I cannot in good conscience support this escalation. It is a policy which has already been tried and a policy which has failed. Just this morning, I had veterans of the Iraq war visit my office to explain to me that this surge concept is, in fact, no different from what we have repeatedly tried, but with 20,000 troops, we will not in any imaginable way be able to accomplish any new progress."
"...neither Iran nor Syria wants to see a security vacuum in Iraq filled with chaos, terrorism, refugees, and violence, as it could have a destabilizing effect throughout the entire region - and within their own countries."
"...neither Iran nor Syria wants to see a security vacuum in Iraq filled with chaos, terrorism, refugees, and violence, as it could have a destabilizing effect throughout the entire region - and within their own countries."
August 28, 2007, TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boldly declared Tuesday that Iran is ready to help fill an imminent power vacuum in Iraq, while also defending the neighboring country's embattled Shiite prime minister who has been criticized by U.S. politicians.
March 20, 2008 (CNN) -- Al-Jazeera broadcast on Thursday an audiotape on which a voice identified as Osama bin Laden declares "Iraq is the perfect base to set up the jihad to liberate Palestine."
"[W]e should be more modest in our belief that we can impose democracy on a country through military force. In the past, it has been movements for freedom from within tyrannical regimes that have led to flourishing democracies; movements that continue today...It's in our interest to help foster democracy through the diplomatic and economic resources at our disposal. But even as we provide such help, we should be clear that the institutions of democracy - free markets, a free press, a strong civil society - cannot be built overnight, and they cannot be built at the end of a barrel of a gun. And so we must realize that the freedoms FDR once spoke of - especially freedom from want and freedom from fear - do not just come from deposing a tyrant and handing out ballots; they are only realized once the personal and material security of a people is ensured as well
"In the past, it has been movements for freedom from within tyrannical regimes that have led to flourishing democracies." Really? When and where?
Germany, Japan and Italy became flourishing democracies "at the end of a barrel of a gun." England's freedoms would have been smothered had it not been for the gun barrels of Hurricanes and Spitfires. Singapore and the Philippines were liberated from tyranny at the end of a barrel of a gun. Israel has often defended her freedom with guns, yet today. France, Belgium, Norway - all liberated from tyranny at the end of gun barrels. South Korea is free today because of them, gun barrels. Eastern European countries are discovering democracy today because of all the unfired guns of NATO at-the-ready that helped bring about the implosion of the USSR. Iraq and Afghanistan would never have had a chance at freedom had their struggling quests not begun after the diplomats fell silent and the guns spoke. One wonders if Senator Obama's educartion at Hawaii's most elite private academy, Columbia and Harvard included any history lessons.
"We should be more modest in our belief that we can impose democracy on a country through military force," Senator Obama says. One wonders...