This is a continuation of a most regrettable feeling. Lately I have had the sense that President Obama was starting to waffle on his campaign promise, turned into actual stated policy, that the US will have removed combat forces from Iraq by the summer of 2010.
Military experts believe we can safely redeploy combat brigades from Iraq at a pace of 1 to 2 brigades a month that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 – more than 7 years after the war began.
And indeed he did have the military's support for this plan:
"The plan that President Obama announced today is the most feasible way to disengage combat forces from Iraq and offers us the best chance to leave the country safely and responsibly," said Lt. Gen. Robert Gard (USA, ret.), who serves as chairman of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.
The recent events of April however have started my uneasy feeling that Obama is falling into the great trap that all Presidents face when they are engaged in a dubious war and desire to withdraw. The trap is that there are a million excuses to stay and prolong the conflict. Whether they be of the "Peace with honor" variety, the "US does not surrender" motto or the "Stay until the job is done right" kind, there is always an excuse available.
So imagine my surprise when I came across this story:
The United States and Iraq will begin negotiating possible exceptions to the June 30 deadline for withdrawing American combat troops from Iraqi cities, focusing on the troubled northern city of Mosul, according to military officials. Some parts of Baghdad also will still have combat troops.
I believed Obama when he said he was ready to make the tough decisions. All I am left to say now is- then make them. I view this as a prolongation of the "6 more months" garbage the Bush Administration was pushing for nearly 5 years. This so called strategy basically boiled down to the hope that tomorrow would be better than today in Iraq. World class political and military insight right there boy, let me tell ya.
No more death, no more blood, no more sorrow for a completely failed approach to a war that should have never been fought. This war has been going so long that sincere statements like that are now cliches. However, they are still TRUE. So for the love Pete, why is our current president playing footsie with the notion that all the US needs is more time. Maybe now that he IS the PRESIDENT he does not want history books to write that he surrendered in Iraq (of course this is not an accurate description). I don't know. What I do know is what Obama has said in the past and what he purported to believe. And that was the US was going to withdraw combat troops by the summer of 2010. The end of this fight was coming into view. Now with the certainty of difficult days still ahead, I fear the 2010 mark will come and go.
The decision to withdraw from Iraq is by no means an easy one. However, it is the correct and right one. So stick to your word and make it happen Mr. President. No more Excuses.