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Obama and Iraq
I have a new column in World Politics Review arguing that most criticisms of President Obama on Iraq miss the mark.
Most recently, GOP critics of the Obama administration have been quick to fault the White House for withdrawing U.S. troops at the end of 2011. But the incessant, myopic focus of many Republicans on America’s military means is wrong-headed and ignores where the administration has actually fallen short in Iraq.
If you're going to criticize the administration, I argue, you're better off criticizing the administration for enabling the sectarian re-polarization of the country. Read the entire article here.
Exum think you are over
Exum think you are over generalizing what some Republicans have said. Overall I think that the Obama administration has worked overtime at blame shifting on multiple issues it is almost a trademark and anticipated. Americans are smart enough to realize who is responsible and for what. It is clear that Bush has ownership for the beginning of Iraq and it is obvious that the current administration is responsible for the end of the same war.
Just be lucky that the Republicans have some sense for tradition (Boehner for sure not all are the same). This administration's back side is hanging out in Afghanistan a blame that cannot be shifted to Bush. Because the Afghan war is active, I doubt that the Republicans will use it in the 2012 elections. The media is not going to cook their golden goose. Right now the administration's slight of hand is holding the American focus on Syria and Iran. America will not know exactly were we stand in Afghanistan until after the election.
More than anything else a person sworn to uphold the US Constitution taking aim at the branch of government responsible for determining Constitutionality of law seems to be way past overreach for someone that was never a tenured law professor in Chicago.
Obama could use some tradition.
BTW......$100 Million for Tunisia? $25M for Syrian resistance and putting them on the pay roll? Crap, how many US students who voted for Obama are trying to pay off their University loans looking for a job? That has to be reality.
As is typical of most
As is typical of most political debates, the Republican criticism of Obama's policies is right, but for all the wrong reasons.
Not that the Republican process of establishing governance under the CPA was exactly effective, but assuming that the extension of a military presence would resolve the issue (pretty sure having troops at the DMZ, while keeping the DPRK at bay hasn't really moved the diplomatic ball forward much) ignores well, pretty much everything.
elsnarkistani but assuming
elsnarkistani
but assuming that the extension of a military presence would resolve the issue (pretty sure having troops at the DMZ, while keeping the DPRK at bay hasn't really moved the diplomatic ball forward much)
Is that anything like the surge and its effectiveness in Afghanistan? Keeping the ball rolling past 2014?
Now we have the "Sons of Syria" on the dole. Have not even touched on Operation Ocean Shield and the proxy wars in the Horn. Sudan is a whole other latency issue.
Think Australia was a good idea.
Obama make the Iraq/ US
Obama make the Iraq/ US partnership a reality?
How much is that going to cost US taxpayers and why would it change the local player's religious views?
Be sort of nice that folks could be a little retro in the ME and have a revolution for what they believe in rather than because the US or someone else paid them for their loyalties. Paying people seems so temporary. When the US fills the coffers in Dubai you still have the same problem just people have money to amplify disagreements.
Never made sense to let people from the ME immigrate to the US. The people that want to live in the US should be the very individuals that build an improve ME countries. Giving people an easy out makes it too easy to give up and walk away.
US will never learn and the ME will never change.
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