Mission Accomplished: President Obama announces complete withdrawal from Iraq
Kari Chisholm
Today, President Obama declared that the war in Iraq is over, and that all troops will be withdrawn from Iraq over the next nine weeks.
President Barack Obama said on Friday the United States will fulfil its pledge to pull troops out of Iraq by the end of the year.
"As promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year. After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over," Obama told reporters. ...
"Over the next two months, our troops in Iraq, tens of thousands of them, will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home," Obama said.
"The last American soldier will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops," he said. "That is how America's military efforts in Iraq will end."
The news comes a day after the death of ousted Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. And the Republicans said that Barack Obama wasn't ready to be commander-in-chief.
Mission Accomplished, indeed.
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1:43 p.m.
Oct 21, '11
I realize that Americans are focused on jobs and the economy today, but it has been frustrating that in all of the Republican debates there has been almost no discussion about foreign policy. We have had CNN, Fox, and NBC hosts ask questions and collectively they have just not bothered. The last Republican president took this country down a rabbit hole with his invasion of Iraq. Obama has ended it and yet it is not worth asking the Republican candidates whether they would repeat his policies or follow Obama or take the Ron Paul isolationist approach. Pathetic.
8:39 a.m.
Oct 22, '11
Maybe there is no debate because once you're in the rabbit hole the only meaningful question is whether you stay or get out.
2:08 p.m.
Oct 21, '11
Bin Laden, Al Rahman, and now Kaddafi?
Two takeways from all of this:
1) Don't mess with Obama.
2) Why can't this administration be tougher on Congress?
Of course, voters don't care about anything but the economy right now...
2:31 p.m.
Oct 21, '11
That's nice. Maybe Obama won't be asked to give back his Nobel Peace Prize after all. :-)
8:20 p.m.
Oct 21, '11
Considering they didn't ask Henry Kissinger to give his back, I think Barack Obama can safely assume they won't ask him to give his back.
2:38 p.m.
Oct 21, '11
At the risk of identifying premature adulation it should be noted that in negotiations on troops staying longer than GW's SOFA (status of forces agreement) the issue of immunity for crimes commited could not be resolved.
Therefore, more than eight billion dollars was appropriated to the State Department which one would reasonably presume will go to some contractors. Removal of military contractors has been a long time concern; it may be too soon to celebrate.
5:33 p.m.
Oct 21, '11
I think the Iraqi government has insisted, as is their power under the SOFA, that the US have a total withdrawal, on schedule. If it were up to Obama and Panetta, the US would have kept active forces in country.
Obama's admin. is seeking permanent basing in Afghanistan, too. My source on this is Prof. Zaher Wahab.
9:36 p.m.
Oct 21, '11
Here's a link with Leon Panetta declaring in an interview with Stars'n'Stripes that the Iraqis have agreed to let US forces stay past the end of the year: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/61731.html
So, the Dems will spin this to say that Obama is ending the war(he is, but not of his own volition). And the GOP will spin that Obama is another Neville Chamberlain.
Usual crap.
7:39 a.m.
Oct 22, '11
I think this is long overdue. However, I am concerned with the support the troops will have when they return. Will there be jobs? Will there be other support? Thus far, that has not been the case. On the surface, this is good news, but the devil's in the details.
11:59 a.m.
Oct 22, '11
The troops are leaving Iraq, but not the army. At this point we are not cutting troop strength so the civilian job issue is no higher or lower than before Obama's announcement.
4:00 p.m.
Oct 24, '11
I seriously hope they don't just redeploy those folks to Afghanistan.
10:34 a.m.
Oct 25, '11
Given Karzai's assertion over the weekend that if Pakistan goes to war, Afghanistan will have their back, I'm thinking that Daddy won't be leaving any time soon.
2:56 a.m.
Oct 28, '11
The idea that the US withdrawal of troops has anything to do with Obama is utter BS. All he and his military boys have been doing is trying to get the Iraqis to let the US troops stay and get complete immunity for any crimes they might commit. THAT the Iraqis wont agree to that is why the US is leaving.
Plus, this is an agreement done between W and the Iraqis before Obama was elected.
"The news comes a day after the death of ousted Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. And the Republicans said that Barack Obama wasn't ready to be commander-in-chief.
"Mission Accomplished, indeed."
Just like Bush and Cheney before him, Obama was happy to commit and support war crimes, just as he continued the illegal Iraq war, murdered not only citizens of Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Libya, but American citizens Anwar Awlaki and his son with no due process and no evidence to support the murders.
If any of you think this is mission accomplished, than your mission must be the destruction of our Constitution. Mission accomplished my ass.