Breaking News, Politics, National Security
Obama Took Credit For Iraq Troop Withdrawal
Before Ducking Responsibility
Before Ducking Responsibility
David Rutz, The Washington Free Beacon — It was an applause line during almost every campaign address made by President Obama in 2012: “I promised to end the war in Iraq, and I did.”Now, he’s backing off.
President Obama ordered a full troop withdrawal from Iraq, which was completed in December 2011. But the country did not stabilize, as was predicted by Obama and key members of his administration. Instead, it has descended into greater chaos with the violent al Qaeda offshoot ISIL threatening to take over the country.
The situation became so dire that last week, as ISIL neared the city of Erbil, Obama ordered targeted air strikes to protect American diplomats and military personnel and provide humanitarian relief to the Yazidi people. When a reporter asked him Saturday if he had “second thoughts” about pulling ground troops out of Iraq, Obama bristled at the question and pawned responsibility off to the Iraqis and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for not making a status of forces agreement.
“What I just find interesting is the degree to which this issue keeps on coming up as if this was my decision,” Obama said. “Under the previous administration, we had turned over the country to a sovereign, democratically elected Iraqi government. In order for us to maintain troops in Iraq, we needed the invitation of the Iraqi government and we needed assurances that our personnel would be immune from prosecution if, for example, they were protecting themselves and ended up getting in a firefight with Iraqis, that they wouldn’t be hauled before an Iraqi judicial system.”
In June, Obama made a similar denial when asked if he had regrets about not leaving a residual force in Iraq.
“Keep in mind, that wasn’t a decision made by me,” he said. “That was a decision made by the Iraqi government.”
Yet, as the Washington Post reported, Obama tried to draw a clear distinction between himself and Republican Mitt Romney in 2012 by clearly stating he didn’t want to have leave any troops in Iraq at all:
“With regards to Iraq, you and I agreed, I believe, that there should be a status of forces agreement,” Romney told Obama as the two convened on the Lynn University campus in Boca Raton, Fla., that October evening. ”That’s not true,” Obama interjected. “Oh, you didn’t want a status of forces agreement?” Romney asked as an argument ensued. “No,” Obama said. “What I would not have done is left 10,000 troops in Iraq that would tie us down. That certainly would not help us in the Middle East.”
What was a popular line in 2012 is now something Obama would have people believe he couldn’t control.
About the AuthorDAVID RUTZ is Video Editor of the Washington Free Beacon. He was previously a sports reporter for two years in Atlanta and has done freelance sports reporting for the Washington Post. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2010 and lives in Arlington, Va. His Twitter handle is @DavidRutz.
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Current Events And Commentaries
15 Shocking Numbers That Will Get You To Pay
Attention To What ISIS Is Doing In Iraq
Attention To What ISIS Is Doing In Iraq
Lead Story by Justin Koski, Western Journalism —
They Make Al-Queda Look Like A Wannabe Jihadist Group...
Over the past several months, the Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS, has been expanding its territory with brutal tactics in Syria and Iraq. With the goal of establishing a Sunni caliphate, the terrorist group is racking up a heavy toll on the Kurds and Christians in the area.
The Islamic state has been seen carrying out mass executions, placing severed heads on pikes, viciously ordering mass conversions leading to evacuations, and now have sparked U.S. military involvement leading to President Obama issuing authorized airstrikes.
Here’s an update on the terrorist group by the numbers:
13,000
The number of square miles thought to be in control of the Islamic State. It is a stretch between Syria and Iraq that is roughly the size of Belgium. Other estimates suggest the real number is closer to 35,000 square miles.
1,922
The number of people killed in Iraq in June according to government figures. Figures show that of the 1,922, 1,393 were civilians, 380 were soldiers, and 149 were police. Another 2,610 people were wounded.
30,000 – 50,000
The number of militants now fighting for the Islamic state, according to a recent estimate by Dr. Hisham al-Hawshimi, an expert on the group.
5
The number of nations where the Islamic State has engaged in fighting. Terrorists have attacked soldiers in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey.
$2,000,000,000
The approximate value of the Islamic State’s cash and assets, according to estimates from terrorism experts. In June, Islamic fighters captured the city of Musul, looting hundreds of millions of dollars from banks and more from Iraqi military assets.
$3,000,000
The estimated daily revenue of the Islamic State from its oil and gas resources alone. The militants have taken over oil and gas fields across Iraq and Syria. “It now controls a volume of resources and territory unmatched in the history of extremist organizations,” wrote defense expert Janine Davidson of the Council on Foreign Relations. She went on to note that if they continue this pattern, they will be able to exert the same force “far beyond the immediate area.”
3
The number of high-profile jailbreaks carried out by the Islamic State, which led to the freeing of 1,500 insurgents–likely including leaders, bomb-makers, and other militants, according to reports.
0
The number of Christians thought to be left in the city of Mosul, where practicing Christianity now is punishable by death.
Up to 40,000
The number of civilians initially estimated to have been trapped on Mount Sinjar last week. At least 20,000 were reportedly rescued over the weekend by Kurdish rebels; the remaining are still trapped.
At Least 500
The number of Yazidis killed so far by Islamic fighters in northern Iraq. The militants buried some of the Yazidis alive, while others were killed in a mass execution.
At Least 300
The number of Yazidi women taken as slaves, according to human rights minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. Sudani said there are concerns that many victims will be moved outside the country, making it harder to rescue them.
500,000
The expected number of civilians to die should the Mosul dam in Iraq stop working, according to a 2011 report in Water Power magazine. Just last week, The Islamic State reportedly seized the dam, which feeds power and water to Mosul. It is unclear what they intend to do with it, but doing nothing with it can be just as detrimental.
65
The amount of water (in feet) that would rip towards Mosul should the Islamic State destroy the Mosul dam, according to a 2007 letter from the U.S. generals.
1,500,000
The estimated population of Erbil, the capitol of Iraqi Kurdistan. The number takes into account an unknown number of foreign workers, some of whom are American military personnel who were dispatched to help with resistance against the Islamic State. Last week, American warplanes launched airstrikes to help the Kurds.
2
The number of towns reclaimed by Kurdish forces on Sunday after U.S. airstrikes were used to protect the area from the Islamic militants.
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