Don't Lie to Me Obama

Come on Obama, don't lie to me man. His campaign was centered on ending the war in Iraq and withdrawing the troops. On Meet the Press yesterday, Obama called his new plan to remove the troops from Iraq a "draw down." He claimed that he would leave a residual force of 35,000-50,000 troops to protect American civilians still stationed in Iraq.

This new plan directly contradicts his campaign promises regarding the war. A draw down is clearly not the same as a withdrawal. In essence, this new plan to leave a large residual force in Iraq does not differ from John McCain's proposals on the same subject. Obama believes that the American occupation of Iraq was and is wrong. Leaving one third of the troops used to invade the country is nothing short of an occupation.

There should not be any U.S. troops or civilians in Iraq. We invaded their country. Our continued presence in Iraq fuels the insurgency. The insurgency is not upset because we have too many troops in Iraq, they are distraught because we have any troops there in the first place. The war did not fail because we had too many troops during the invasion; it failed because we invaded in the first place. The subsequent reconstruction of Iraq did not fail because we have had too many troops in the country; it failed because the presence of American troops is responsible for the insurgency's existence. These civilians that this residual force is supposed to protect will include the same corrupt corporations that have stolen tax payer money since the outset of the war.

I figured I'd be disillusioned with Obama at some point, I just didn't think it would start more than a month before his inauguration. And I support his cabinet nominations, even though liberals are few and far between. They are practical selections. But his new policy on the war in Iraq is not practical. Bring home all the troops from Iraq. (International edition)