Really Pissed Off!

It may be presumptuous to consider the candidates duly chosen by the voters and their delegates, but this is the likely outcome for the November sweepstakes. In its wake lies the direction of this nation, well into the Twenty-First Century. We’ve seen too much of the past over the last seven years of the disastrous Bush Administration. What does the future offer with Barack Obama or John McCain? Let’s take a good look, as you and I are going to have to live with one of them, and the America, which each one envisions! This is the first of a series of articles on the issues of both candidates, and the reality of both of the candidates’ plans.

IRAQ:
There is a fundamental difference between Obama and McCain. Barack Obama’s Plan is to begin to bring out troops one to two combat brigades each month and will have all of our troops out within 16 months. We will not have permanent bases in Iraq, except for those troops needed to protect our embassy, diplomats and to remove al Qaeda as a threat to Iraq. He would force the Iraqis to reconcile as we advise them well in advance that we are withdrawing our troops and force the government to face the tough decisions of federalism and oil revenue sharing, with the assistance of the United Nations. Obama would seek a new and aggressive effort to deal with both Syria and Iran on the Diplomatic front, to secure Iraq’s borders, establish greater stability in the Middle East, support reconciliation as well as Iraq’s reconstruction. He would also deal with the Humanitarian issue facing Iraq, spending up to 2 billion dollars for the Iraqi refugee problem and to secure Iraq as a safe haven. You can read the Plan in detail for the details, which the Obama Campaign has posted on its website in a PDF format.

John McCain’s Plan differs substantially from Obama’s Plan. McCain would not withdraw American troops until the Iraqi Army is prepared to protect the nation. Once established, the Iraqi government then will be able to deal with reconciliation and stabilize the country. During this period, the government would establish a “clear, hold and build” policy for those territories still troubled with counterinsurgency. The United States should “keep senior officers in place,” rather than rotating them for consistency in reaching our goals. McCain calls for international pressure on both Syria and Iran, rather than enter into negotiation with those nations. John McCain points out that his position has been consistent since 2003, as he had called for called for “The Surge” as far back as 2003 and that the War has been totally mismanaged by the Bush Administration.

THE REALITY OF THE WAR
Now, it’s my turn to look at both positions and give you what I believe is the unfortunate truth. First of all, Barack Obama was right in his position against the War in Iraq, as far back as October 2002! Anyone who had any knowledge of the History of Islam, The Middle East and the consequences of going to war should have known that we would end up in the conundrum that we find ourselves in Iraq! On the other hand, John McCain was correct when he called for 80,000 t0 100,000 more troops back in 2004, as well has having “no confidence” in Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. At the time, McCain was joined by fellow Senator Chuck Hagel and General Norman Schwartzkopf. Once we were at War in Iraq, the situation changed from whether we go to war to how do we conduct the peace? Winning the war was easy, winning the peace was totally another matter, and the Bush Administration didn’t have a clue. Had we followed John McCain’s call for 100,000 troops to pacify Iraq, we may have been long gone, as a standing army in Iraq. That was then however and this is now. Just the continued continuing cost of the War will help bankrupt the country. McCain calls for us to remain and finish the job. We no longer have the money or the manpower. John McCain will follow the advise of his Commander in Chief of Operations, General Petraeus as he plans to freeze the level of troops in July. McCain will continue the same path as President Bush, and has left no other new options on the table. His position on the War in Iraq remains the same with the exception of “Keeping Senior Officers on the Ground” and to “Win the Homefront.” On the other hand, Barack Obama has yet to come up with a detailed strategy as to how we are going to pull our troops out of Iraq! Obama is correct that we need a new plan, one which will include diplomacy with both Syria and particularly Iran. As reconciling the Shi’ia and Sunni, let alone the Kurds in the North, History has shown that Iraq has never known peace within its borders, well before it became independent from British rule on October 3, 1932. It’s time for the Obama Campaign to specify what they want to accomplish and how they plan to withdraw from Iraq, without leaving a “Black Hole,” right in the center of The Middle East! We’ve been placed in a position where we can’t stay and we can’t leave! Neither candidate can do very much regarding Iraq, as the War has a mind of its own, and we are going to remove our troops, as the War allows us to do! It’s far too late to send in more soldiers. That’s something we should have done, right after Bush shouted “Mission Accomplished!” We didn’t and followed Rumsfeld’s “War On The Cheap Policy,” which has brought us to this conundrum! What we need to do is in Barack Obama’s plan, and that is to begin face to face diplomacy with both Syria and Iran. They are the keys as to how we get out of Iraq! The answer also includes bringing in all the surrounding nations to come to some common solution, as an unstable Iraq endangers not only the Middle East, but the entire world! The answer lies in both John McCain and Barack Obama’s plans for Iraq. It now becomes a question as to who will follow it. Below are two video clips from both the McCain and the Obama campaigns. It’s up to you to decide!