Obama on Iraq: Two Disturbing Alternatives

Posted on June 29, 2008

Cross posted from Radarsite

1. The Terrorists On The Importance Of Iraq:

Osama Bin Laden: Baghdad Is “The Capital Of The Caliphate.” (Text Of Bin Laden’s Audio Message To Muslims In Iraq, Posted On Jihadist Websites, 12/28/04)

Bin Laden: “The Most Important And Serious Issue Today For The Whole World Is This Third World War … Raging In [Iraq].” BIN LADEN: “I now address my speech to the whole of the Islamic nation: Listen and understand. The issue is big and the misfortune is momentous. The most important and serious issue today for the whole world is this Third World War, which the Crusader-Zionist coalition began against the Islamic nation. It is raging in the land of the two rivers. The world’s millstone and pillar is in Baghdad, the capital of the caliphate.” (Text Of Bin Laden’s Audio Message To Muslims In Iraq, Posted On Jihadist Websites, 12/28/04)
Bin Laden: “This Is A War Of Destiny Between Infidelity And Islam.” (Text Of Bin Laden’s Audio Message To Muslims In Iraq, Posted On Jihadist Websites, 12/28/04)
Bin Laden: “The Whole World Is Watching This War And The Two Adversaries; The Islamic Nation, On The One Hand, And The United States And Its Allies On The Other. It Is Either Victory And Glory Or Misery And Humiliation.” (Text Of Bin Laden’s Audio Message To Muslims In Iraq, Posted On Jihadist Websites, 12/28/04)
Ayman al-Zawahiri: We Must “Establish An Islamic Authority … Over As Much Territory As You Can To Spread Its Power In Iraq … [And] Extend The Jihad Wave To The Secular Countries Neighboring Iraq.” ZAWAHIRI: “So we must think for a long time about our next steps and how we want to attain it, and it is my humble opinion that the Jihad in Iraq requires several incremental goals: The first stage: Expel the Americans from Iraq. The second stage: Establish an Islamic authority or emirate, then develop it and support it until it achieves the level of a caliphate – over as much territory as you can to spread its power in Iraq … The third stage: Extend the jihad wave to the secular countries neighboring Iraq. The fourth stage: It may coincide with what came before: the clash with Israel, because Israel was established only to challenge any new Islamic entity.” (Complete Text Of Al-Zawahiri Letter To Al-Zarqawi, 7/9/05, Available At: http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/20051011_release.htm, Accessed 9/5/06)

Bin Laden: “The War Is For You Or For Us To Win. If We Win It, It Means Your Defeat And Disgrace Forever.” BIN LADEN: “Finally, I would like to tell you that the war is for you or for us to win. If we win it, it means your defeat and disgrace forever as the wind blows in this direction with God’s help.” (Bin Laden Threatens New Operations, Offers ‘Long-Term Truce,’ Posted On Al-Jazirah Net, 1/19/06)

2. Barack Hussein Obama on Iraq War:

“Surge strategy has made a difference in Iraq but failed.”

Q: Is Petraeus correct when he says that the troop increase is
bringing security to Iraq?
A: There is no doubt that because we put American troops in Iraq, more American troops in Iraq, that they are doing a magnificent job. They are making a difference in certain neighborhoods. But the overall strategy is failed because we have not seen any change in behavior among Iraq’s political leaders. That is the essence of what we should be trying to do in Iraq. That’s why I’m going to bring this war to a close. That’s why we can get our combat troops out within 16 months and have to initiate the kind of regional diplomacy, not just talking to our friends, but talking to our enemies, like Iran and Syria, to try to stabilize the situation there. This year, we saw the highest casualty rates for American troops in Iraq since this war started. The same is true in Afghanistan. If we have seen a lowering violence rate, that’s only compared to earlier this year. We’re back to where we started back in 2006.

Source: 2007 Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Nevada Nov 15, 2007

Q: If you get us out of Iraq and somehow al Qaeda takes over anyway, what will you do then?
A: Well, look, if we had followed my judgment originally, we wouldn’t have been in Iraq. We’re here now. And we’ve got no good options. We got bad options and worse options. The only way we’re going to stabilize Iraq and make sure that al Qaeda does not take over in the long term is to begin a phased redeployment so that we don’t have anti-American sentiment as a focal point for al Qaeda in Iraq. We can still have troops in the region, outside of Iraq, that can help on counterterrorism activities, and we’ve got to make sure that they don’t establish long-term bases there. But right now, the bases are in Afghanistan and in the hills between Afghanistan and Pakistan; that’s where we’ve got to focus.
Source: 2007 AFL-CIO Democratic primary forum Aug 8,
2007

A note from Radarsite: Anyone who has read the captured correspondence of the Al-Qaeda leaders concerning the importance that they attach to Iraq, and the central role that Iraq plays in their scheme for a world-wide Caliphate knows how delighted they would be if we followed the advice of Barack Hussein Obama, and shifted our focus and resources from the oil-rich center of gravity in Iraq, the universally acknowledged keystone to the Middle East, to the mountainous wastelands of Afghanistan.

It is the opinion of this writer, that if we abandoned the Land of the Two Rivers to the enemy now, the long-term strategic consequences of this monumental blunder for our GWOT would be nothing less than disastrous. The idea that we could somehow return to the area if it at some point in the future it became infested with Al-Qaeda is at best naive and ludicrous, and at worst naggingly suspect.

Nothing would suit our enemies in Iraq better than a publicly proclaimed schedule of withdrawal of our troops and their eventual complete pullout.

To this particular observer the absurdity of this plan, which so obviously plays into our enemy’s game presents us with one of two troubling alternatives: Either it was purposely designed to enhance the chances for our defeat in this crucial region of the Middle East and enhance the capabilities of our sworn Al-Qaeda enemies, or it is the dangerously delusional bumblings of a hopeless amateur. rg

» Filed Under Iraq, War On Terror, military

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5 Responses to “Obama on Iraq: Two Disturbing Alternatives”

redhawk on June 29th, 2008 3:48 pm

Latest from the ever changing world of Barry from HO speaking at the Spanish Club… ” based on current situation it will take careful planning on ending the war in Iraq…blah blah balh” Was it just last week that he said that he would PULL OUT IMMEDIATELY???
Is this Regressive progressive ” CHANGE” ????
SpideyTerry on June 29th, 2008 6:53 pm

“Well, look, if we had followed my judgment originally,”

Iraq would’ve fallen to terrorists because of your cut-and-run plan. Fortunately, McCain pushed for the surge and the results are obvious to even the dumbest individual. Gee, guess who has better judgment.

“And we’ve got no good options. We got bad options and worse options.”

Cough, the surge, cough. Once again, guess who has better judgment.

“The only way we’re going to stabilize Iraq and make sure that al Qaeda does not take over in the long term is to begin a phased redeployment so that we don’t have anti-American sentiment as a focal point for al Qaeda in Iraq.”

Yes, defeat the enemy by fleeing from them as quickly as possible. No, wait, that’s stupid beyond all reason and plays into the terrorists’ hands. They would use our retreat as a rallying cry. That was certainly the case with our retreats from Lebanon and Somalia after the related unfortunate events. The way to win is the surge plan that McCain supported. For the third time, guess who has better judgment.

“We can still have troops in the region, outside of Iraq, that can help on counterterrorism activities, and we’ve got to make sure that they don’t establish long-term bases there.”

Wasn’t this basically the strategy under Rumsfeld - the one that virtually everyone now believes to have been a horrible failure? And one more time, guess who has better judgment.

Say what you will about McCain, but he is obviously far smarter than Obama on Iraq. That alone is great reason to vote for him.
Roger W. Gardner on June 29th, 2008 8:26 pm

Thanks for the comments.
And to Spidey Terry — I’ve gotten so accustomed to having the first comments be attacks from libs that your supportive comments took me off guard. lol
Thank you.
rg
redhawk on June 30th, 2008 11:09 am

Obama Understanding of Warfare, National Security and REALITY of being at war that was begun by terrorists can be the second book that he wrote starting with ” I shall withdraw from Iraq since I was against the war” ending with ” and now I am running for CIC” and it contains 732 Blank Pages.. this really summarizes his lack of experience..
redhawk on June 30th, 2008 4:00 pm

.. Barry of Ho might take a new Waffling stand towards Iraq … He will say that he will take a new look and assess a timely pull back as the situation develops ( a W Position stand) and then while wearing a Flag pin and pretend to be Patriotic he’ll have OILY Clark.. Jon Effen Carry… and assorted LOONS Blast anyone who is for WINNING!!!Did he learn the CLINTON Stategy or what?????