PrintJuly 1, 2009
Obama's withdrawal symptoms
Yesterday, June 30, President Obama did manage to find some time in his busy social and golf schedule to note the milestone of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the major urban centers in Iraq. He did praise the bravery of the troops; however, conspicuous by its absence was any mention of President Bush and his determination to see the war through so the Iraqis can live in a true secular democracy.
Let us suppose for a moment that President Bush had listened to Senator Obama and his fellow Democrats in 2005-06 and withdrawn from Iraq leaving it to the mercy of Al Qaeda and the mullahs in Iran. Iraq would now be split into three areas: 1) a training center for Al Qaeda in the Sunni area, 2) a province of Iran in the southern Shiite area and 3) a Kurdish stronghold in the north, assuming it could survive. The oil revenue would be used for terror training and furthering Iran's nuclear and hegemonic ambitions. This would have resulted in an arc of evil stretching from Lebanon (Hezb'allah) on the Mediterranean to Pakistan on the Indian Ocean. (Afghanistan and Pakistan would be under more pressure by the Taliban as they would be receiving more support from Iran). Iran would have de facto control of over 24% of the world's proven oil reserves (Iran and Iraq), be free to develop nuclear weapons and exert near total control over the Middle East and be able, by intimidation, to manipulate the world price of crude. In addition, Israel would be facing a true doomsday scenario which could well spill over into a global conflict.
If President Bush had not invaded Iraq and Saddam Hussein had stayed in power. Would it have been much different?
Considering President Obama's "appeasement based" foreign policy and his determination to not "meddle" in Iran's affairs, we can all be grateful that President Bush did have the foresight to invade Iraq, remain determined to win and thus have in the heart of the Middle East a true democracy which has given hope to the Iranian people as well as a military base to keep the mullahs in Iran in check.
President Bush, Mr. Obama wouldn't say it but: Thank you!
