Obama to refine Iraq plan

[Dos Equis]

Is he actually going to tell the truth this early in the election?     We're not leaving in 16 months and I think he knows that.

This guy should not be CIC.  You don't conclusively state the mission (we'll be out in 16 months) and then go see whether it's possible.   

Jul 3, 4:06 PM EDT

Obama opens door to altering his Iraq policy

By JENNIFER LOVEN
Associated Press Writer
 
FARGO, N.D. (AP) -- Democrat Barack Obama opened the door Thursday to altering his plan to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq in 16 months based on what he hears from military commanders during his upcoming trip there.

"I am going to do a thorough assessment when I'm there," he told reporters on the airport tarmac here. "I'm sure I'll have more information and continue to refine my policy."

During his presidential campaign, Obama has gone from the hard-edged, vocal opposition to Iraq that defined his early candidacy to more nuanced rhetoric that calls for a phased-out drawdown of all combat brigades that, at a rate of one or two a month, could last 16 months. He has said that if al-Qaida builds bases in Iraq, he would keep troops either in the country or the region to carry out "targeted strikes."

Republicans, who have been goading Obama to return to Iraq to see conditions for himself, pounced.

"There appears to be no issue that Barack Obama is not willing to reverse himself on for the sake of political expedience," said Alex Conant, a spokesman for the national Republican Party. "Obama's Iraq problem undermines the central premise of his candidacy and shows him to be a typical politician."

Obama's GOP rival, John McCain, has been a vocal supporter of the Iraq war and war policy has been a central disagreement between the two candidates.

But Obama insisted that his position has not changed at all.

He said he is saying now what he always has: The war was a mistake and needs to be brought to "a responsible end," but "we need to be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in." This means, he said, that his 16-month timeline was always premised on troops being safe and Iraq being stable.

"I'm going to continue to gather information to see whether those conditions still hold," he said. "My goal is to end this conflict as soon as possible."

Although he did not specifically mention his 16-month timeline on Thursday, Obama called it "pure speculation" to suggest he has been softening or even backing off his position as conditions improve in Iraq.

"I continue to believe that it is a strategic error for us to maintain a long-term occupation in Iraq at a time when conditions in Afghanistan are worsening, al-Qaida is continuing to establish bases in areas of northwest Pakistan, resources there are severely strained and we are spending $10 to $12 billion a month in Iraq that we desperately need here at home, not to mention the strains on our military," Obama said.

Obama plans a visit this summer to Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. The Illinois senator also has said he intends to visit Iraq and Afghanistan this summer as part of an official congressional trip that would be separate from the campaign-funded Mideast and European tour. It would be his second trip to Iraq.
 
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA_IRAQ?refresh=1

[240 is Back]

Mccain said we'll be out in 3 years, by 2011.

He has no clue if this is possible or not.


So both men have given a timeline for us leaving.  Mccain's is right beacause.... ?

[youandme]

So both men have given a timeline for us leaving.  Mccain's is right beacause.... ?

Let's be honest McCain is right because he said we will have to stay to stabilize the country, and prevent Russia, China, and Iran exploitation.

[OzmO]

Let's be honest McCain is right because he said we will have to stay to stabilize the country, and prevent Russia, China, and Iran exploitation.

Unfortunately that's correct.   More people will have to die to prevent that.   However, 16 months from 2009 or 24-30 months from 2009 is not really that different.

If it really stabilizes by then.  that would be great, but at such an unneeded cost.

[240 is Back]

Let's be honest McCain is right because he said we will have to stay to stabilize the country, and prevent Russia, China, and Iran exploitation.

Obama just said we'll have to stay long enough to withdraw safely.

He's obviously getting in front of this issue, as he is going to visit soon and doesn't want to be lectured by generals.  Better for him to say "yes, general, I agree, and I even said this in July".

[Dos Equis]

McCain didn't say he would withdraw 1 to 2 brigades a month.  Also, McCain has been to Iraq numerous times and I'm sure has talked to commanders.  Unlike Obama, who has been spouting dishonest campaign rhetoric trying to feed off anti-war sentiment. 

[240 is Back]

McCain didn't say he would withdraw 1 to 2 brigades a month.  Also, McCain has been to Iraq numerous times and I'm sure has talked to commanders.  Unlike Obama, who has been spouting dishonest campaign rhetoric trying to feed off anti-war sentiment. 

Mccain has been to iraq 8 (?) times.

He was very delusional about being able to walk down the street.  To prove his point, he did it with gunships and 100 bodyguards.

He was very delusional about saying Patraeus drives around in a Humvee without Armor.  Patraeus disagreed.

He was very delusional when he said Iran was training Al-Quida.


So you have Obama, who hasn't yet been on the ground or talked to the generals.  Then you have mccain, who HAS been there, and it still making up obvious lies.  Which man is more likely to improve his position/thinking in the next 4 months? 

[headhuntersix]

 
 
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on Thursday backed off his firm promise to withdraw combat forces from Iraq immediately, and instead said he could “refine” his plan after his trip to Baghdad later this month.

Earlier, a top Obama adviser had said that the senator is not “wedded” to a specific timeline.

Obama told reporters in Fargo, N.D., that he is “going to do a thorough assessment."

"When I go to Iraq and I have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I'm sure I'll have more information and will continue to refine my policies," he said according to CBS News. “I have been consistent throughout this process that I believe the war in Iraq was a mistake.”

Obama later said at a second news conference he still intends to stick to the timeline.

The original Obama plan, still on his Web site, promises: “Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months.”

In a separate six-page Iraq plan, he says in a section headed “All Combat Troops Redeployed by 2009”: “The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq's leaders to resolve their civil war is to begin immediately to remove our combat troops. Not in six months or one year –now.”

David Axelrod, Obama’s chief strategist, began backing off during remarks Wednesday on CNN’s “Situation Room,” telling guest host John Roberts that Obama has actually advocated “a phased withdrawal, with benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet, that called for strategic pauses, based on the progress on these benchmarks, and advice on the commanders on the ground.”

“He's always said that he would listen to the advice of commanders on the ground, that that would factor into his thinking,” Axelrod said. “He's also always said that we had to be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in. So he's been very consistent on this point. …

“I think he will take the advice, not just the advice of the commanders on the ground, but his general assessment of conditions on the ground in calibrating that withdrawal. He said he thought we could get one to two brigades out a month. But he's not wedded to that in the face of events. No president would be. And he's always said that he's never said that this withdrawal would be without any possibility of alteration based on events on the ground. That would not be a prudent thing to do for any president.”

The Republican National Committee plans to make an issue of the evolving statements, and has posted “Obama’s Iraq Guessing Game,” rounding up various statements on Iraq by the senator, his aides and surrogates

[headhuntersix]

Oh boy...I told u this guy was full of shit.....

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on Thursday backed off his firm promise to withdraw combat forces from Iraq immediately, and instead said he could “refine” his plan after his trip to Baghdad later this month.
Earlier, a top Obama adviser had said that the senator is not “wedded” to a specific timeline.
Obama told reporters in Fargo, N.D., that he is “going to do a thorough assessment."

Ok fine...he's backtracking flip floping and full of shit but ok....

then

Obama later said at a second news conference he still intends to stick to the timeline.


This guy si an idiot...what the hell, he retracks the same day....honestly McCain might be old and angry but this guy is a rock with lips.

[headhuntersix]

Mccain has been to iraq 8 (?) times.

He was very delusional about being able to walk down the street.  To prove his point, he did it with gunships and 100 bodyguards.

He was very delusional about saying Patraeus drives around in a Humvee without Armor.  Patraeus disagreed.

He was very delusional when he said Iran was training Al-Quida.


So you have Obama, who hasn't yet been on the ground or talked to the generals.  Then you have mccain, who HAS been there, and it still making up obvious lies.  Which man is more likely to improve his position/thinking in the next 4 months? 

Point 1.....he did that presurge
point 2.....P4 told us last week that he does drive around in some areas in soft cap
point 3 ....he was right, extremely right, he shouldn't have said anything thats all.

240 honestly u could not be more wrong..just admit ur voting for him and get it over with.....

[headhuntersix]

This guy wants it both ways on everything. 

[TerminalPower]

This guy wants it both ways on everything. 

He hasn't accomplished anything political in his life until this year.  Now the Liberals want him to lead the our Nation.  This double talking, pencil neck, America hating guy, we know as Barak Hussein Obama was an unknown 3 years ago.  He has never been tested and never been a leader.

[headhuntersix]

Hey Terminal...ur not allowed to go anywhere ur stuck on the Politics board there Leather Neck, we need more like u to balance the nutbaggery out.

[Fury]

It would be pretty funny if Obama got the presidency and then we ended up staying in Iraq another 3 or 4+ years. Can you imagine listening to these douche bags trying to justify his actions?

"Well Bush did it 7 years ago so it's ok for Obama to do it." 

[headhuntersix]

Something along those lines...

[240 is Back]

Point 1.....he did that presurge
point 2.....P4 told us last week that he does drive around in some areas in soft cap
point 3 ....he was right, extremely right, he shouldn't have said anything thats all.

points 1 and 2 - they were FALSE when mccain said them.  Sure, you can say in 2008 these things are true.  Perhaps he was just being 'forward thinking' by doing those things 2 years before they were actually true.

Dude... he said Patraeus drives around in a humvee without armor.  CNN called patraeus who said absolutely not.  And he said it was safe to walk around a market... when it wasn't.  Yes, in 2008, those things MIGHT be true... but when he stated those two things as fact, they were absolutely untrue.

And if #3 was correct, then it means the guy just leaked intel for the cameras, in which case his senility comes into play.  If he can't keep from leaking classified shit to cameras, he doesn't have the mental capacity to run the world.

[Deicide]

We are never leaving.

I thought that was clear; 14 new bases.

We never left our satellites, South Korea and Japan; Iraq is no different.

The American public doesn't care and likely the only thing that will make it care is the total bankrupcy of the country, which will affect even the apathetic morons in the country, of which there are many.

1. So either Japan and China stop buying our debt and paying for the war...or
2. Major oil countries start asking for Euros instead of dollars...or
3. Econ 101 kicks in and the 800 billion dollar plus trade decifit follows proper economic theory and the country comes crashing to its knees...or
4. All three...

[headhuntersix]

points 1 and 2 - they were FALSE when mccain said them.  Sure, you can say in 2008 these things are true.  Perhaps he was just being 'forward thinking' by doing those things 2 years before they were actually true.

Dude... he said Patraeus drives around in a humvee without armor.  CNN called patraeus who said absolutely not.  And he said it was safe to walk around a market... when it wasn't.  Yes, in 2008, those things MIGHT be true... but when he stated those two things as fact, they were absolutely untrue.

And if #3 was correct, then it means the guy just leaked intel for the cameras, in which case his senility comes into play.  If he can't keep from leaking classified shit to cameras, he doesn't have the mental capacity to run the world.

Its correct and those stories have been coming out in the Middle Eastern press....I've seen guys get Mil brief and then regurge what they just got to reporters..McCain kinda slipped, its no big secret to anybody there.