Now there\’s a blog title which could continue with a lot of different material.
This one, as it happens, involves President Obama\’s claim that the reason we did not leave a residiual military force in Iraq is because Iraq would not allow us to do so.
Here, from the statement issued by the Obama White House on August 31, 2010, is the key passage relating to this claim:
Sotonight, I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq hasended. Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi peoplenow have lead responsibility for the security of their country.
Thiswas my pledge to the American people as a candidate for this office. Last February, I announced a plan that would bring our combatbrigades out of Iraq, while redoubling our efforts to strengthenIraq\’s Security Forces and support its government and people.
That\’swhat we\’ve done. We\’ve removed nearly 100,000 U.S. troopsfrom Iraq. We\’ve closed or transferred to the Iraqis hundredsof bases. And we have moved millions of pieces of equipment outof Iraq.
Thiscompletes a transition to Iraqi responsibility for their ownsecurity…
…Going forward, a transitional force of U.S. troops will remain in Iraq with a different mission: advising and assisting Iraq\’s Security Forces, supporting Iraqi troops in targeted counterterrorism missions, and protecting our civilians. Consistent with our agreement with the Iraqi government, all U.S. troops will leave by the end of next year.
You can read the above excerpts, then use the link I\’ve provided to read the entire statement, and scrutinize it until your eyeballs fall out. You will not find any place that says, either specifically or indirectly, that President Obama ever had any intention of any kind to leave a residual military presence in Iraq.
But you will read that President Obama made good on his pledge to end the combat mission…..without Mr. Obama bothering to mention that it was President Bush, in November of 2008 – two months before Barack Obama took office – who negotiated the agreement he was taking credit for.
In other words, Barack Obama is lying to you now, and was lying to you then.
As if that should be any surprise at all.
