Obama could have left troops in Iraq beyond December 31, 2011 - WITHOUT IMMUNITY

[Lakhota]

I think many are missing the point as to why U.S. troops are leaving Iraq by December 31, 2011:

Obama announces U.S. troops leaving Iraq by year's end

The Associated Press
Date: Fri. Oct. 21 2011

In recent months, Washington had been discussing with Iraqi leaders the possibility of several thousand American troops remaining to continue training Iraqi security forces.

Throughout the discussions, Iraqi leaders refused to give U.S. troops immunity from prosecution in Iraqi courts, and the Americans refused to stay without that guarantee.

Moreover, Iraq's leadership has been split on whether it wanted American forces to stay.

When the 2008 agreement requiring all U.S. forces to leave Iraq was passed, many U.S. officials assumed it would inevitably be renegotiated so that Americans could stay longer.

The U.S. said repeatedly this year it would entertain an offer from the Iraqis to have a small force stay behind, and the Iraqis said they would like American military help. But as the year wore on and the number of American troops that Washington was suggesting could stay behind dropped, it became increasingly clear that a U.S. troop presence was not a sure thing.

The issue of legal protection for the Americans was the deal-breaker.

More: Obama announces U.S. troops leaving Iraq by year's end - CTV News

As I understand it, Obama could have left troops in Iraq past year-end - but because Iraqi leaders refused to give U.S. troops immunity from prosecution in Iraqi courts - Obama is pulling them out. Thank you, Mr. President.

 

[Lakhota]

I don't see how anyone could say Obama is lying or accepting undue praise. He had a choice to make - and he made it.

 

[ScienceRocks]

I agree...Obama is making the right choice. No way in hell should our troops be there without immunity. Hell, we shouldn't be there at all. Get our troops out of the middle east and Africa! I agree with Obama.

 

[Lakhota]

Iraq Troop Withdrawal: Immunity Issue Scuttled Deal, Says Iraq PM

 

[Lakhota]

I didn't think righties would pay much attention to this thread. I was right...

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

Obama did the right thing but we don't really need a half dozen different threads discussing it.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

I didn't think righties would pay much attention to this thread. I was right...

Come on man. It's football day. I can barely keep up with my threads.

 

[California Girl]

Clearly, the OP has a Masters in International Relations and knows all about such topics.

Oh.... wait.... no, she doesn't. She's just some clueless twit... and a racist.

 

[Lakhota]

Obama did the right thing but we don't really need a half dozen different threads discussing it.

Why not? You righties posted umpteen threads on OWS. Plus, I like to see a thread title with the TRUTH in it.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

Obama did the right thing but we don't really need a half dozen different threads discussing it.

Why not? You righties posted umpteen threads on OWS. Plus, I like to see a thread title with the TRUTH in it.

Fair enough.

 

[Katzndogz]

Immunity was agreed upon by Malki, it was the cleric, Al-Sadr that demanded no immunity and obama caved. He wouldn't fight for it. Not even with Maliki's support.

I blame Bush. Had Bush not been stricken with an act of conscience way back when Sadr was bottled up and killed him right then and there we wouldn't have the controversy.

It doesn't matter anyway. Iraq is going to become another fundamentalist islamic regime just like Tunisia, Libya, Iran, and all the rest.

 

[Lakhota]

Immunity was agreed upon by Malki, it was the cleric, Al-Sadr that demanded no immunity and obama caved. He wouldn't fight for it. Not even with Maliki's support.

I blame Bush. Had Bush not been stricken with an act of conscience way back when Sadr was bottled up and killed him right then and there we wouldn't have the controversy.

It doesn't matter anyway. Iraq is going to become another fundamentalist islamic regime just like Tunisia, Libya, Iran, and all the rest.

How did Obama "cave"? Please provide some credible proof? Iraq is once again a "sovereign" country - so how was Obama supposed to "dictate" to them?

 

[California Girl]

Immunity was agreed upon by Malki, it was the cleric, Al-Sadr that demanded no immunity and obama caved. He wouldn't fight for it. Not even with Maliki's support.

I blame Bush. Had Bush not been stricken with an act of conscience way back when Sadr was bottled up and killed him right then and there we wouldn't have the controversy.

It doesn't matter anyway. Iraq is going to become another fundamentalist islamic regime just like Tunisia, Libya, Iran, and all the rest.

Actually, if Clinton had given the 'go' to killing Bin Laden when we had him surrounded and quite literally in our gun site, this whole clusterfuck would never have happened, including 9/11.

 

[Lakhota]

Immunity was agreed upon by Malki, it was the cleric, Al-Sadr that demanded no immunity and obama caved. He wouldn't fight for it. Not even with Maliki's support.

I blame Bush. Had Bush not been stricken with an act of conscience way back when Sadr was bottled up and killed him right then and there we wouldn't have the controversy.

It doesn't matter anyway. Iraq is going to become another fundamentalist islamic regime just like Tunisia, Libya, Iran, and all the rest.

Actually, if Clinton had given the 'go' to killing Bin Laden when we had him surrounded and quite literally in our gun site, this whole clusterfuck would never have happened, including 9/11.

More bullshit from righties. Remember Tora Bora...

FactCheck.org : Clinton Passed on Killing bin Laden?

 

[Lakhota]

Clinton: U.S. ‘Fulfilled Commitment’ In Iraq | TPMDC

 

[Full-Auto]

Immunity was agreed upon by Malki, it was the cleric, Al-Sadr that demanded no immunity and obama caved. He wouldn't fight for it. Not even with Maliki's support.

I blame Bush. Had Bush not been stricken with an act of conscience way back when Sadr was bottled up and killed him right then and there we wouldn't have the controversy.

It doesn't matter anyway. Iraq is going to become another fundamentalist islamic regime just like Tunisia, Libya, Iran, and all the rest.

Actually, if Clinton had given the 'go' to killing Bin Laden when we had him surrounded and quite literally in our gun site, this whole clusterfuck would never have happened, including 9/11.

More bullshit from righties. Remember Tora Bora...

FactCheck.org : Clinton Passed on Killing bin Laden?

LiveLeak.com -

 

[clevergirl]

Immunity was agreed upon by Malki, it was the cleric, Al-Sadr that demanded no immunity and obama caved. He wouldn't fight for it. Not even with Maliki's support.

I blame Bush. Had Bush not been stricken with an act of conscience way back when Sadr was bottled up and killed him right then and there we wouldn't have the controversy.

It doesn't matter anyway. Iraq is going to become another fundamentalist islamic regime just like Tunisia, Libya, Iran, and all the rest.

How did Obama "cave"? Please provide some credible proof? Iraq is once again a "sovereign" country - so how was Obama supposed to "dictate" to them?

It isn't about dictating. It is about providing further stability.. Maliki wanted a US troop presence beyond the deadline. Obama did cave... but not out of weakness IMO- but out of political strategy for the 2012 election. In other words, a purely self centered maneuver.

So it has nothing to do with Obama keeping to his commitment

 

[WillowTree]

I didn't think righties would pay much attention to this thread. I was right...

You seem to be an attention whore.. We get that.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Immunity was agreed upon by Malki, it was the cleric, Al-Sadr that demanded no immunity and obama caved. He wouldn't fight for it. Not even with Maliki's support.

I blame Bush. Had Bush not been stricken with an act of conscience way back when Sadr was bottled up and killed him right then and there we wouldn't have the controversy.

It doesn't matter anyway. Iraq is going to become another fundamentalist islamic regime just like Tunisia, Libya, Iran, and all the rest.

How did Obama "cave"? Please provide some credible proof? Iraq is once again a "sovereign" country - so how was Obama supposed to "dictate" to them?

It isn't about dictating. It is about providing further stability.. Maliki wanted a US troop presence beyond the deadline. Obama did cave... but not out of weakness IMO- but out of political strategy for the 2012 election. In other words, a purely self centered maneuver.

So it has nothing to do with Obama keeping to his commitment

I don't know how good of a idea it would be to give iraq all the hardware we got over there, but if we did; Iran surely would have a hard time defeating them. The problem, I have with it is iraq is likely to become our enemy and most likely a dictatorship soon.

It would cost good coin to transport the hardware back home...Likely cheaper to give it to them.
But if we're out of that area within our own country, does it matter?

Iraq can become the military power of the middle east this way.

 

[Lakhota]

Immunity was agreed upon by Malki, it was the cleric, Al-Sadr that demanded no immunity and obama caved. He wouldn't fight for it. Not even with Maliki's support.

I blame Bush. Had Bush not been stricken with an act of conscience way back when Sadr was bottled up and killed him right then and there we wouldn't have the controversy.

It doesn't matter anyway. Iraq is going to become another fundamentalist islamic regime just like Tunisia, Libya, Iran, and all the rest.

How did Obama "cave"? Please provide some credible proof? Iraq is once again a "sovereign" country - so how was Obama supposed to "dictate" to them?

It isn't about dictating. It is about providing further stability.. Maliki wanted a US troop presence beyond the deadline. Obama did cave... but not out of weakness IMO- but out of political strategy for the 2012 election. In other words, a purely self centered maneuver.

So it has nothing to do with Obama keeping to his commitment

I'm confused. So, you would have preferred that Obama agree to keep troops in Iraq WITHOUT IMMUNITY and have American troops subject to Iraqi prosecution and lawsuits? I wonder how the troops feel about that? I think I know...

Maliki: Immunity scuttled troop deal - Associated Press - POLITICO.com