WASHINGTON, D.C., July 15, 2008
Obama: Iraq Distracts From Other Threats
Says Overall U.S. Interests Have Been Hurt By Troop Increase
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Photo Essay Barack Obama A look at the life and meteoric rise of the president-elect.
Obama said his White House rival, Sen. John McCain, "has argued that the gains of the surge mean that I should change my commitment to end the war. But this argument misconstrues what is necessary to succeed in Iraq, and stubbornly ignores the facts of the broader strategic picture that we face."
In a speech delivered in advance of an overseas trip, Obama said fighting al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan would be his top priority. Beyond that, he called for securing all nuclear weapons and materials from terrorists and rogue states, achieving energy security and rebuilding international alliances.
With his speech, Obama sought to cast the debate over the war in Iraq - and in particular the surge - in a wider context.
"Senator McCain wants to talk of our tactics in Iraq; I want to focus on a new strategy for Iraq and the wider world," he said.
"This war distracts us from every threat that we face and so many opportunities we could seize. This war diminishes our security, our standing in the world, our military, our economy, and the resources that we need to confront the challenges of the 21st century. By any measure, our single-minded and open-ended focus on Iraq is not a sound strategy for keeping America safe.
Obama's successful run through the Democratic presidential primaries was fueled in part by his opposition to Bush's plans for an invasion of Iraq in 2003, and his 16-month timetable for a withdrawal has long been a staple of his speeches.
In recent weeks, though, McCain has challenged him to readjust his views to take the results of the so-called surge into account.
"Senator Obama is departing soon on a trip abroad that will include a fact-finding mission to Iraq and Afghanistan," McCain said in prepared remarks.
"And I note that he is speaking today about his plans for Iraq and Afghanistan before he has even left, before he has talked to General Petraeus, before he has seen the progress in Iraq, and before he has set foot in Afghanistan for the first time. In my experience, fact-finding missions usually work best the other way around: First you assess the facts on the ground, then you present a new strategy."
Obama answered bluntly.
"In the 18 months since the surge began, the strain on our military has increased, our troops and their families have borne an enormous burden, and American taxpayers have spent another $200 billion in Iraq," he said.
He added that in Afghanistan, "June was our highest casualty month of the war. The Taliban has been on the offensive, even launching a brazen attack on one of our bases. Al Qaeda has a growing sanctuary in Pakistan."
The speech billed as a major address by the campaign offered no new policy, but a high-profile explanation of his opposition to the war and his pledge to complete a U.S. troop pullout within 16 months of becoming president. It also gave him a forum for criticizing President Bush and McCain.
"I will end this war as president," he said, speaking from a podium that said "Judgment to Lead." Obama addressed the crowd with a line of American flags behind him.
Obama delayed his appearance for half an hour for a presidential news conference that the White House announced Tuesday morning during the same time that Obama was scheduled to be speaking just three blocks away.
President Bush was asked what advice he might give Obama as he prepared to visit Iraq. The president said he would ask Obama to listen carefully to Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker.
"It's a temptation to let the politics at home get in the way, you know, with the considered judgment of the commanders," Mr. Bush said. He defended his policy and maintained that the effort in Iraq was succeeding and acknowledged that the war in Afghanistan remained "a tough fight."
Meanwhile, the New York Daily News reported that the Obama campaign altered its Web site to remove a statement that Mr. Bush's surge of troops in Iraq "is not working." Over the weekend, the site was changed to describe an "improved security situation" at the cost of U.S. lives.
Campaign aide Wendy Morigi told the newspaper that Obama is "not softening his criticism of the surge. We regularly update the Web site to reflect changes in current events."
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Posted by realpatriot1 at 12:44 PM : Jul 16, 2008
Oh yeah! Sounds like Afghanistan is just going to lay down it''s arms, doesn''t it? They''re just going to love it when we run like a bunch of chickens out of Iraq! You don''t get it do you? Afghanistan is getting STRONGER because of you idiots!
McCain supposedly asked the crowd if they had heard "the one about the woman who is attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly and left to die?"
The punch line: "When she finally regains consciousness and tries to speak, her doctor leans over to hear her sigh contently and to feebly ask, "Where is that marvelous ape?"
Back in 1998, he odiously declared before a GOP crowd: "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno."
More recently he joked that it might be good for the United States to keep exporting cigarettes to Iran as cancer would prove an effective weapon against that country''s citizens.
Afghanistan was the first one, Iraq is the second one. We should''ve stayed out of Iraq until we eliminated the ability of the Al Queda & the Taliban to threaten our gains in Afghanistan and until we brought to justice those who actually attacked us.
Being bogged down in Iraq fighting insurgents who only want us out of their country and never attacked us until we attacked them only plays into the hands of Al Queda.
No one in the world thought we were the aggressor when we went after Al Quaeda & the Taliban. When we invaded Iraq and stayed there after getting Sadaam the world saw that it was about oil and not principle.
That''s why we have NATO support in Afghanistan but nt in Iraq.
Afghanistan is abut letting anyone in the world who might want to attack us know that we won''t stop coming after them until we get them!
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Posted by raflin1 at 11:01 AM : Jul 16, 2008
Intelligence? An intelligent liar? Seems like somebody with intelligence would not be arrogant enough to think people are stupid and believe his obvious lies.
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Posted by raflin1 at 10:50 AM : Jul 16, 2008
Seems like you''re as full of krap as your candidate...never voted for Bush any of the four opportunities I had to vote for him!
Nor will I place a vote for Barak Marxist Islamofast Lying Obama!
I''ll vote for the candidate that has SOME wisdom at least, and has NO ties to Islamofast idiots that strap bombs on themselves and drive planes into buildings, tyvm!
If Iraq is a distraction and there is no GAIN there for the US, then what the HELL is Afghanistan?
Does he think the Islamofast idiots in Afghanistan are just going to lay down their weapons any more than the Islamofast idiots in Iraq will?
Finding some kind of solution to the first one might be appropriate before you wag your behind off to the second one! Obama apparently has no problem solving skills as well as any other competence attributes!
Whatta whack job is this Islamofast idiot!
The Iraq''s are beefed up (560,000 troops). Let them handle their business.
Obama has been calling for 2 additional brigades in Afghanistan for the past 3 months, while McCain has opposed this shift of resources.
Yesterday, McCain shifted his position and tried to do Obama one better. He now wants 3 more brigades in Afghanistan, even though McCain claims he would never "pander" for votes...like he does with his gas tax policy.
Again, Obama is right. Shift the resouces carefully and thoughtfully. Finish up McCain''s Iraq was and get the troops out by handing the responsibility to the Iraq''s. Go get Al Queda and Bin Laden.
And rebuild and recharge our military forces. McCain and Bush have worn them out.
Barrack Obama%u2019s pastor not only spews anti-American rhetoric from the pulpit but favors shaking down U.S. taxpayers for %u201Creparations%u201D for slavery.
After playing a video question submitted by a South Carolina (SC) citizen, CNN''s Anderson Cooper asked, "Senator Obama, [what is] your position on reparations?" Obama said,
"I think the reparation we need right here in South Carolina is investment, for example in our schools.
Finally, the most telling indication that Obama has a secret addiction to reparations is reflected in those who support him and those whom he supports: the most notorious race-baiter on the Chicago City Council, Alderwoman Dorothy Tillman.
Haven''t heard of Dorothy Tillman? You better learn about Obama''s #1 supporter. And fast. You really should know who she is. Tillman has almost single-handedly made a joke of the City of Chicago in the public finance industry over her preoccupation with slavery and reparations.
Tillman supports Obama and Obama supports Tillman.
Obama has never said he against Repartions for salvery. Never.
Barrack Obama%u2019s pastor not only spews anti-American rhetoric from the pulpit but favors shaking down U.S. taxpayers for %u201Creparations%u201D for slavery.
After playing a video question submitted by a South Carolina (SC) citizen, CNN''s Anderson Cooper asked, "Senator Obama, [what is] your position on reparations?" Obama said,
"I think the reparation we need right here in South Carolina is investment, for example in our schools.
Finally, the most telling indication that Obama has a secret addiction to reparations is reflected in those who support him and those whom he supports: the most notorious race-baiter on the Chicago City Council, Alderwoman Dorothy Tillman.
Haven''t heard of Dorothy Tillman? You better learn about Obama''s #1 supporter. And fast. You really should know who she is. Tillman has almost single-handedly made a joke of the City of Chicago in the public finance industry over her preoccupation with slavery and reparations.
Tillman supports Obama and Obama supports Tillman.
Obama has never said he against Repartions for salvery. Never.
Posted by zerato
Obama has NEVER said he against Reparation payments for slavery.
reparations: this is your evidence of reparations. You are the dumbest person on this site. Not a single word that indicates he is for reparations. You are a fool.
Barrack Obama%u2019s pastor not only spews anti-American rhetoric from the pulpit but favors shaking down U.S. taxpayers for %u201Creparations%u201D for slavery.
After playing a video question submitted by a South Carolina (SC) citizen, CNN''s Anderson Cooper asked, "Senator Obama, [what is] your position on reparations?" Obama said,
"I think the reparation we need right here in South Carolina is investment, for example in our schools.
Finally, the most telling indication that Obama has a secret addiction to reparations is reflected in those who support him and those whom he supports: the most notorious race-baiter on the Chicago City Council, Alderwoman Dorothy Tillman.
Haven''t heard of Dorothy Tillman? You better learn about Obama''s #1 supporter. And fast. You really should know who she is. Tillman has almost single-handedly made a joke of the City of Chicago in the public finance industry over her preoccupation with slavery and reparations.
Tillman supports Obama and Obama supports Tillman.
''My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you''ll join with
me as we try to change it.''
- Barack Obama
me as we try to change it.''''
- Barack Obama
He was registered under the name of Barry Soetoro, serial number 203. School documents list Barry Soetoro as an Indonesian citizen and his religion was listed as Islam.
His third grade teacher, Fermina Katarina Sinaga, now 67, asked her class to write an essay titled "My dream: What I want to be in the future." Obama wrote "I want to be a President," she said.
All Indonesian students are required to study religion at school and a young Barry Soetoro, being a Muslim, would have been required to study Islam daily in school.
He would have been taught to read and write Arabic, to recite his prayers properly, to read and recite from the Quran and to study the laws of Islam.
In his autobiography, "Dreams From My Father," Obama mentions studying the Quran and describes the public school as "a Muslim school."
The evidence seems to quite clearly show that both Ann Dunham and her husband Lolo Soetoro Mangunharjo were in fact devout Muslims themselves and they raised their son as such."
Voters overwhelmingly reject Obama''''s call for bilingualism. We can all expect another Obama flip-flop on this issue.
Posted by johnmcsame
You have my vote for the dumbest person on this site. How does americans view of immigrants learning english have anything to do with bilingual education in schools..
Voters overwhelmingly reject Obama''s call for bilingualism. We can all expect another Obama flip-flop on this issue.
Posted by fervan at 10:47 PM : Jul 15, 2008
You''re right.
Posted by standlee5 at 11:52 PM : Jul 15, 2008
ANYONE with a brain, knows that we should have concentrated ALL OF OUR EFFORTS in Afghanistan from the very beginning.
Not 7 years later say, "Oh yeah!! About that war we FORGOT about....!!"
Posted by hungry1968 at 11:56 PM : Jul 15, 2008,,,
The surge in Iraq always rubbed me the wrong way because the American people spoke by voting to end U.S. occupation in Iraq in 2006 by electing a Democratic majority in Congress. Instead of listening to voters and withdrawing from Iraq the Bush administration arrogantly and defiantly added an additional 30,000 U.S. troops! It does not matter if the surge was a success or not in a Democratic context because American voters expressed a desire to redeploy from Iraq and the Bush administration ignored them! In this context Democracy failed and signs of a Dictatorship emerged! The fact that the surge appears to be working is a positive, but the fact that the Bush administration ignored the American people is the bigger story, Americans should never have known if the surge worked or not since thats not what the voters wanted or voted for!
Posted by fervan at 10:47 PM : Jul 15, 2008
You''''re right.
Posted by standlee5 at 11:52 PM : Jul 15, 2008
ANYONE with a brain, knows that we should have concentrated ALL OF OUR EFFORTS in Afghanistan from the very beginning.
Not 7 years later say, "Oh yeah!! About that war we FORGOT about....!!"
Posted by fervan at 10:47 PM : Jul 15, 2008
You''re right.
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