Here’s an excellent video, chronicling Sen. Obama’s many positions on Iraq.
Archive for the ‘Iraq’ Category
Sen. Obama’s Iraq Refinement
Yesterday, Sen. Obama laid out his plan for Iraq in a New York Times op-ed, amid growing allegations that his recent vacillation on Iraq is part of a general election move to the political center. Of course, his inability to take a real position on Iraq and stick with it is problematic. Regardless, there are several problems with his new strategy. I examine five here.
First, he recently stated that upon assuming the Office of the President, he would consult with his military commanders and recalibrate policy toward Iraq as needed. It was strange, then, that he issued this new strategy before his upcoming trip to Iraq and before meeting with Gen. David Petraeus. Remember,…
Yellowcake
Today’s Examiner had an outstanding editorial on the significance of the 550 metric tons of Uranium recently removed from Iraq. States don’t stockpile Yellowcake for peaceful purposes. Of course, the mainstream media has been silent on this story. The Editor’s, however, were not:
Here’s the key point: As noted in 2004 by The American Thinker, Norman Dombey, professor of theoretical physics at the University of Sussex, England, said there was no peaceful use in Iraq for the yellowcake because all three of Saddam’s nuclear facilities had been destroyed years before. Once enriched, the 550 tons of yellowcake would be sufficient to produce up to 142 nukes,…
Sen. Obama Commences Flip-Flop on Iraq
The Obama campaign continues to use surrogates to attack Sen. McCain’s record of service in order to deflect the mounting criticism of Sen. Obama’s newfound willingness to shift positions on Iraq. Preempting the inevitable flurry of flip-flop charges against Sen. Obama, Sen. Kerry was on Face the Nation yesterday calling Sen. McCain a flip-flopper: “…John McCain has flip-flopped on more issues than, you know, I was even ever accused possibly of thinking about. I mean, this is extraordinary, what he’s done.” Sen. Kerry’s charges are laughable–this coming from the guy who voted for the war before he voted against.
Sen. Obama’s position on Iraq is evolving. Throughout…
“Finish the Job”
Vets for Freedom launched a new add this week, entitled “Finish the Job.” It’s a powerful ad from an outstanding organization.
More Unreported Progress in Iraq
The fruits of the surge are evident. In a recent assessment delivered to Congress in May, the Bush administration concluded that 15 of the 18 political-military benchmarks for reconstruction have reached a “satisfactory” level, “almost twice of what it determined to be the case a year ago,” writes Anne Flaherty.
Consistent progress is important. Anyone expecting a “quick fix” counterinsurgency camaign needs to read some military history. Counterinsurgency campaigns take years to execute. There are competing schools of thought, but most insurgencies last between 10 – 15 years. One RAND study which examined 90 insurgencies found that it took 14 years on average to defeat an insurgency.
Of…
Johnny-Come-Lately
Sen. Obama’s summer travel plans–which includes stops in Israel, Jordan, Britain, France, Germany, and Iraq–are a Johnny-come-lately attempt to, as Linda Feldmann writes, “…add some heft to the Illinois senator’s light foreign-policy résumé…” Sen. Obama, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has only been to Iraq once, back in 2006. It is not surprising, then, that Sen. Obama refuses to acknowledge the success of the surge. He last visited Iraq when the violence was at its apex. How can Sen. Obama expect to craft an effective Iraq policy if he has no concept of the reality on the ground. A president can obviously receive input from his commanders, but it customary for statesmen to visit…