[Peace-discuss] Mission Accomplished

[C. G. Estabrook]

	Obama Sells Continuation of Iraq War as the New Pullout Plan
	Gates Suggests Keeping Troops in Even Past 2011 SOFA Deadline
	Posted February 27, 2009

Then-President George W. Bush declared “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq, and then 
proceeded to keep the war going for the remaining five and a half years of his 
presidency. In a speech today at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina took a page out of 
his predecessor’s book when he declared that “by August 31, 2010, our combat 
mission in Iraq will end,” even as his administration prepares to keep the 
combat going until at least the end of 2011.

His administration has been touting a military surge in Afghanistan which would 
bring the overall American force to roughly 50,000 troops. That is taking a war 
to the next level. Bringing the level of troops in Iraq to roughly the same 
level, somehow, is being sold to the public as the end of that war. Will anyone 
buy it?

It doesn’t appear to be the case, as many Congressmen from Obama’s own party are 
condemning the move. The only ones who seem satisfied with the plan and the 
50,000 “residual” troops that will be engaging in combat operations after the 
administration’s official end of combat are hawks who weren’t exactly thrilled 
with the notion of ending combat in the first place.

But even the conclusion one would get from Obama’s speech, that the August 2010 
“end” is really a December 2011 end, as mandated by the Status of Forces 
Agreement the Bush Administration agreed to last year with the Iraqi government, 
might not be the end of the matter. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is already 
talking about what a good idea he thinks it is to keep a “modest US presence” in 
Iraq after 2012.

http://news.antiwar.com/2009/02/27/obama-sells-continuation-of-iraq-war-as-the-new-pullout-plan/