NYT 7/14/08 - My Plan for Iraq by Barack Obama

[NattPang]

My Plan for Iraq
by Barack Obama


THE call by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki for a timetable for the removal of American troops from Iraq presents an enormous opportunity. We should seize this moment to begin the phased redeployment of combat troops that I have long advocated, and that is needed for long-term success in Iraq and the security interests of the United States.
snip

But the same factors that led me to oppose the surge still hold true. The strain on our military has grown, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated and we’ve spent nearly $200 billion more in Iraq than we had budgeted. Iraq’s leaders have failed to invest tens of billions of dollars in oil revenues in rebuilding their own country, and they have not reached the political accommodation that was the stated purpose of the surge.
snip

Ending the war is essential to meeting our broader strategic goals, starting in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the Taliban is resurgent and Al Qaeda has a safe haven. Iraq is not the central front in the war on terrorism, and it never has been. As Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently pointed out, we won’t have sufficient resources to finish the job in Afghanistan until we reduce our commitment to Iraq.

As president, I would pursue a new strategy, and begin by providing at least two additional combat brigades to support our effort in Afghanistan. We need more troops, more helicopters, better intelligence-gathering and more nonmilitary assistance to accomplish the mission there. I would not hold our military, our resources and our foreign policy hostage to a misguided desire to maintain permanent bases in Iraq.

In this campaign, there are honest differences over Iraq, and we should discuss them with the thoroughness they deserve. Unlike Senator McCain, I would make it absolutely clear that we seek no presence in Iraq similar to our permanent bases in South Korea, and would redeploy our troops out of Iraq and focus on the broader security challenges that we face. But for far too long, those responsible for the greatest strategic blunder in the recent history of American foreign policy have ignored useful debate in favor of making false charges about flip-flops and surrender.

It’s not going to work this time. It’s time to end this war.

Barack Obama, a United States senator from Illinois, is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
more at link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/opinion/14obama.html?hp

Of course, this will get no coverage,
because the world will revolve around
the New Yorker Cover.

[az chela]

1. This needs to be sent to everyone you know

Lets get this OUT THERE

[NattPang]

2. I'm trying. But I can't even get any attention for it here!

[NattPang]

11. Kick!

[Kdillard]

3. Trying to do my part by kicking and recing.

[jaysunb]

4. Well said,well placed.

Tounges will be a wagging, cause this puts an end to the flip flop shit.

[AZBlue]

5. K&R!!

[NattPang]

6. Kick!

It isn't about the New Yorker,
Which should give people a reason
to kick this post.

[smalll]

7. Sadly, this is moot. Obama's chances of being President just got destroyed by the New Yorker.

:shrug: You can't expect people to get excited over shoulda-coulda-woulda when we're still reeling from the shock of the sudden and tragic political death of Candidate Obama.

Show some respect. People are in mourning here.

[NattPang]

8. Is this Sarcasm?

Like the New Yorker use of Satire?

[stevedeshazer]

9. Recommended.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. K&R

[NattPang]

12. Kick!

[Eyes_wide_ open]

13. WOOT!

Excellent K&R

[Hope And Change]

14. Thanks Sen. Obama.K & R!

[Hope And Change]

15. Don`t forget to Digg the article here...

http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/My_Plan_for_Iraq

:thumbsup:

[Connie_Corleone]

16. Big Kick

Too many threads about the new yorker.

[Hope And Change]

17. Kick!

[Colobo]

18. But... but... he's flip-flopping! The FISA vote! The centerrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

[wmbrew0206]

19. The problem is this plan is not workable

The 1 to 2 Brigades that Obama keeps saying we can pull out each month are based on our rotation schedule now. However, when a Brigade pulls outs it does not take its equipment with it and the Brigade that replaces it comes in and uses the equipment that the other Brigade left, this is called a light Reinforcement in Place. To withdraw the BCT permanently, means it will have to take its equipment with it. This will require a lot more personnel and equipment than we currently have in Kuwait. In an ABC article on Friday, US logicians in Kuwait called Obama's withdraw plan "almost impossible."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/Story?id=5351864&page=1

This is the old military adage, "Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics"

[Hope And Change]

20. Kick!

[bunnies]

21. K&R

[Hope And Change]

22. Kick!

[butterfly77]

23. K&R...

From what I can tell from some of the posts it seems as though the Dems are giving up when now is the time to fight. If anyone has watched any of the past campaigns of the republicons you know what tactics they use. Since the media won't do their jobs we should be spreading the news and debunking their lies...

[LSK]

24. K&R

[DevonRex]

25. K&R. nt

[bagimin]

26. k&r

[Number23]

27. very glad to see this

[Zhade]

28. "Ending the war is essential" -- notice he didn't say "winning".

It's a start.

Has he commented on stop-loss? That's the real bellwether of how serious he is about ending this criminal enterprise.