(10 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)
Randy Scheunemann was director of foreign policy and national security for the McCain-Palin campaign. He was the chief foreign policy advisor for John McCain. And he has a history. Scheunemann served as a director of the Project for the New American Century (PNAC).
In January 1998, PNAC published an open letter to President Bill Clinton arguing that “containment” of Iraq “has been steadily eroding,” jeopardizing the region and, potentially, beyond. “Given the magnitude of the threat, the current policy, which depends for its success upon the steadfastness of our coalition partners and upon the cooperation of Saddam Hussein, is dangerously inadequate.”
He founded the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq in 2002; director of foreign policy and national security for the McCain-Palin campaign
He now desribes the Obama plan as one John McCain might have formulated:
Now, we should all hope President Obama continues to listen to Gens. David Petraeus and Ray Odierno, rebuffs his left-wing critics and stays the course with an Iraq policy John McCain might have formulated.
Hmmm. More, after the fold.
Scheunemann first praises President Obama for what Scheunemann desribes as moving away from Obama’s wrong-minded plan to leave iraq in 16 months:
It is an affirmation of our political system that President Obama has traveled so far, so fast from candidate Obama’s position on Iraq. Instead of supporting an immediate cutoff of funds for U.S. troops in Iraq, Obama now requests billions for their continued presence. Instead of claiming that American forces were baby-sitting a civil war, Obama recognizes their sacrifice has given Iraqis a “precious opportunity.” Instead of promising to “end this war now” with an artificial 16-month deadline, Obama has wisely moved on.
President Obama has added three months, although in my view that is not the most important decision he made. It’s leaving 50,000 residual troops there, many of whom are “combat” troops, but reclassifying them as non-combat so as to be able to say that he is removing all combat troops.
Scheunemann loves that part:
His plan features a longer timetable, commander flexibility, tactical adjustments and the presence of some 50,000 American troops for years.
It is fully consistent with the 2008 Bush-Maliki agreement. Some, including on-again, off-again foreign policy adviser Samantha Power, predicted this evolution months before Election Day. Not surprisingly, the antiwar left is upset. Those committed to retreat and defeat in Iraq were key supporters of candidate Obama.
Fortunately, the realities of office led President Obama to understand what many had argued for years: Too rapid a withdrawal would jeopardize gains won with huge cost in American blood and treasure and leaving Iraq the wrong way would have immense consequences for our national security. Now, we should all hope President Obama continues to listen to Gens. David Petraeus and Ray Odierno, rebuffs his left-wing critics and stays the course with an Iraq policy John McCain might have formulated.
A policy that John McCain might have formulated? The last I recall McCain was talking about getting out by 2013. (I never bought the 100 years bs) Of course, the treaty between Iraq and the US requires us to be out by December 2011, and we will be.
I’m glad President Obama is complying with the Iraq/US treaty negotiated by Presdient Bush and Prime Minister Malike and leaving by the end of the Bush-Maliki time limits. It’s good. And it’s good that he is withdrawing about 2/3 of the troops over the next 19 months.
One could even argue that the deaths of a certain number of Americans over the remaining time is worth the price of removing the Iraq issue and keeping to the focus on domestic changes that are so necessary. (I don’t believe that; nor does President Obama as far as I can tell. I just expect such a possible defense from in comments.)
I agree more with Congresswoman Woolsey on this. A Co-Founder of the Out of Iraq Caucus, and the Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) issued the following statement Friday in response to remarks by President Obama regarding troops levels in Iraq:
“I welcome President Obama’s announcement that he will step up to the promise that he made to the American public to bring our troops home from Iraq by 2010. The American public supported him in record numbers last November in large part due to his pledge to finally end our occupation of Iraq, and bring our brave men and women home to their families. At the same time, I am deeply troubled by the suggestion that a force of 50,000 troops could remain in Iraq beyond this timeframe. Call such a troop level what you will, but such a large number can only be viewed by the Iraqi public as an enduring occupation force. This is unacceptable.
“So long as the US is viewed as an occupier, the Iraqis will be unable to achieve the necessary unification, reconciliation, and further democratization efforts that will be required for them to bring long-term stability to the country. That’s why the President must not only pledge to have all troops out by 2010, but invest in reconciliation efforts immediately, and ensure that these efforts work in parallel with the redeployment of combat troops. The faster that we can promote unification and reconciliation, the sooner we can bring all of our troops home. The American public and the Iraqi people have waited long enough, it’s time to bring our troops and military contractors home to their families – all of them and as quickly as possible.”
Woolsey – “50,000 Residual Troops is Unacceptable”
I agree with Senator Merkley also:
“Our national interests are not served by the war in Iraq. I applaud President Obama’s commitment to a solid plan for withdrawing our troops and ending the war.
“However, I have reservations about the extended 19 month schedule for the draw down and I am very concerned that the size of the remaining force would still be too great. It will be hard to argue that our military presence is ‘residual’ when it is comprised of as many as 50,000 Americans.
“I hope to work with the Obama Administration to truly end this war and bring our sons and daughters home safely.”
MERKLEY STATEMENT ON OBAMA PLAN TO WITHDRAW TROOPS FROM IRAQ
Let’s work with the work with the Obama Administration to truly end this war and bring our sons and daughters home safely.
People like Schuenemann want an imperial America. I am certain that President Obaam does not want that.
Over the next three years of continued war, let’s war to support the trooops by bring them ALL home before December 30, 2011.
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before December 2011.