Here was Obama's Plan for Ending the War in Iraq

[johnnie]

"Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe we must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in. Immediately upon taking office, Obama will give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new mission in Iraq: ending the war. The removal of our troops will be responsible and phased, directed by military commanders on the ground and done in consultation with the Iraqi government. Military experts believe we can safely redeploy combat brigades from Iraq at a pace of 1 to 2 brigades a month that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 – more than 7 years after the war began.

Under the Obama-Biden plan, a residual force will remain in Iraq and in the region to conduct targeted counter-terrorism missions against al Qaeda in Iraq and to protect American diplomatic and civilian personnel. They will not build permanent bases in Iraq, but will continue efforts to train and support the Iraqi security forces as long as Iraqi leaders move toward political reconciliation and away from sectarianism."

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq/index_campaign.php

This is when he was running for POTUS and he seems to be doing what he promised. "a residual force will remain in Iraq and in the region to conduct targeted counter-terrorism missions against al Qaeda in Iraq and to protect American diplomatic and civilian personnel."

It's nice that a lot of you are "informing" the rest of us that not all troops are coming home, but those of us who read the issues before voting already knew this.

[Skittles]

1. some will remain, the rest will go to Afghanistan

also, find where that "residual force" number was defined, "informed voter"

[johnnie]

8. I didn't say he gave a number

But I sure as hell didn't think he meant 25 troops will stay.

[Skittles]

12. neither did I

because I know the number is much, MUCH larger

[sandnsea]

18. No, 90,000 are leaving

and around 30,000 are going to Afghanistan.

[JonLP24]

21. They all will eventually

If we are in Afghanistan long enough or the troops are in the military long enough.

If we are in Afghanistan awhile they will eventually replace units that have been there for 6mos-1yr unless they get injured or something that will keep them from deploying or staying in the military.

[Skittles]

22. a soldier I know is in Afghanistan for the 5th time

they might "go home", but eventually they'll be in Afghanistan

[JuniperLea]

2. Well done...

:applause:

I remember him saying that... I remember a lot of things... then I come here and think maybe I was dreaming... thanks for confirming my memory.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Thanks for the clarification, johnny...

Recommended...

[cleanhippie]

4. He HAS kept most of his promises. Not sure why everyone poo-poos him.

Sure, I would like to have seen many things done DIFFERENTLY, but they DID get done, mostly......

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

7. get most of what we want but ..... I want it all

but I do give credit for what we did get thru the filibuster

[MH1]

9. and a damn sight better than if McCain-Palin had won.

but dreamers will always dream that there is another choice. The question is whether the dreamer recognizes the dream for what it is, and tends to the necessities of reality in the here and now, while taking what opportunities arise to advance the dream for the long term.

[cleanhippie]

10. That would have been a NIGHTMARE!!!!!

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

5. 50 thousand seams like a lot to guard the embassy

[Skittles]

13. it will be more than that

[Connie_Corleone]

6. Yeah, they act like we didn't pay attention to what Obama said.

Of course there are still troops left in Iraq. The COMBAT troops are the ones that were scheduled to come home by the end of August. They are a few weeks early.

Promise kept.

[TheKentuckian]

11. Once again what were folks supposed to do vote McShame, stay home, write in Yoda?

What the fuck was "reading the issues" suppose to do for us?

The war will be over when every troop, mercenary, and ice tray is out of there. You can cheer a draw down and relabeling exercise if you like but I oppose any permanent presence when we shouldn't have been there in the first place.

You keep a massive percentage of the pre-surge presence with a shit load of mercs and call it peace. I call it bullshit and I don't give a fuck what "reading of the issues" was done.

[johnnie]

15. You should have ran for president

If anyone thought or thinks that anyone of the candidates were going to completely end the wars the first month they were in office, then they live in la la land.

All I know is that many many people are going to be a little happier tonight and I see no problem with that. And of course these wars should end, but to sit around whining about not enough troops leaving isn't doing anyone any good. Keep speaking out against these wars (as will I), but try to at least be happy for the thousands of men and women who are leaving that fucking place.

[TheKentuckian]

25. This isn't the 1st month, I made no such assertion

[The Straight Story]

14. "to conduct targeted counter-terrorism missions"

Like doing convoy security? That is not a targeted mission, that is being cannon fodder.

If my son was shipping out there to do targeted missions and hitting terrorists I might feel better about it, but his mission is going to be riding in a humvee and making sure folks get from point A to B. The only target here is him and his fellow troops.

[johnnie]

17. I know your son is going and I hope all goes fine

But my point in this was to say that it was known from the get-go that troops were staying. A dear friend of mine had her son on his second tour when she asked me to please vote for Obama because at least he was talking about pulling troops out.

[Meeker Morgan]

16. The plan: Say it's over and keep on fighting. n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

20. Looks that way and apparently many will fall for that.

Sad, really.

Meanwhile my granddaughter just joined the Army and my oldest son is in a combat unit.

I hope they don't end up in Afghanistan. :-(

[Scurrilous]

19. K & R

Thanks. :thumbsup:

[mmonk]

23. We knew and opposed it then. Maybe some people are reminding

those that say Obama kept his promise that when they say its over or the last combat brigade is leaving, there are really still American boots on the ground. We still have an occupation force or base there we will pay for.

[Barack2theFuture]

24. 50,000 troops there forever?