Republicans Rise and Attack Obama’s Decision to Withdraw Troops from Iraq

Republican presidential candidates unanimously opposed the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq.

On Oct. 21, Obama announced that by the end of this year he will withdraw all troops from Iraq. This announcement was met by fierce resistance from several Republican presidential candidates. Media commentary pointed out that these candidates, although they cannot reach an agreement on any other issue, are united in their disagreement with Obama’s decision to withdraw troops from Iraq by year’s end. They claim Obama is placing too much emphasis on re-election considerations. They also accuse him of failing to reach an agreement with Iraq on extending the time frame for the stationing of U.S. troops.

The leading Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, called the withdrawal decision a “shocking mistake.” He also expressed concerns about losing the gains that had been acquired through many Americans’ sacrifices. Romney said, “The unavoidable question is whether this decision is the result of a naked political calculation or simply sheer ineptitude in negotiations with the Iraqi government.” Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he was “deeply concerned” about Obama’s decision. Perry worried that Obama was giving priority to the calculations of political gains over the wisdom of military and security considerations. Minnesota Republican Michele Bachmann said that the decision to remove troops once again proved Obama’s weakness in crafting strong foreign policies. Obama’s former ambassador to China, John Huntsman, also said that the decision to withdraw troops was “a mistake.” Another presidential candidate, Herman Cain, said removing troops from Iraq and Afghanistan is “a foolish act.”*

In 2008, Iraq reached a decision with the U.S. to withdraw troops by the end of 2011. This year Obama announced that, if Iraq requested it, he hoped to leave some American troops stationed in Iraq to help train native security forces. However, due to the fact that Iraq refused to honor Obama’s request to give American troops immunity from Iraqi law, the two sides passed their deadline to opt for that arrangement.

Republican Leaders and Others Sustain Critical Mood

Speaker of the House John Boehner said, “Under the strategy developed and implemented by our generals, and the leadership of both President Bush and President Obama,” America was able to win the Iraq War. “While I’m concerned that a full withdrawal could jeopardize those gains, I’m hopeful that both countries will work together to guarantee that a free and democratic Iraq remains a strong and stable partner for the United States in the Middle East.”

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham recently appeared on Fox News Sunday. During his appearance he said, “Not being able to close the deal in Iraq is a very serious mistake. Celebrating leaving with no troops behind is a serious mistake.” Graham accused Obama of putting political considerations over long-term security concerns for the nation. He questioned whether Iraq was prepared for self-reliance. He also touched on the concern that Iraq shares a border with Iran.

Obama’s 2008 presidential election opponent, John McCain, said that the dispersal of troops is a failure with serious consequences for the Iraqi and American governments. He continued, “Iraq does not have an air force. They don’t have the ability to collect intelligence — they need counterterrorism assistance. These tasks are ones that only we can accomplish. U.S. military commanders have said that we must leave between 15,000 and 18,000 troops in Iraq. At the end of this year, we will have no troops there. The Obama administration has the responsibility to fulfill these responsibilities; they have not.”*

Hillary Clinton’s Counterattack

On Oct. 23, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke on Fox News Sunday. She emphasized that the decision to remove troops from Iraq was consistent with commitments agreed upon by Obama and his predecessor, George Bush. Clinton continued, “President Obama said that combat troops would leave Iraq by the end of this year. But before he ever said that, the Bush administration also committed to withdrawing all troops by the end of this year. So, you have a bipartisan commitment to withdraw combat troops. And that was viewed as appropriate given the development of the Iraqi security forces.

“But we always made clear, we were open to discussions with the Iraqis if they wanted some kind of continuing presence. And what we’ve agreed to is a support and training mission, similar to what we have in countries from Jordan to Colombia. And we will be working with the Iraqis. We will also have a very robust diplomatic presence and we will fulfill what are the requests that the Iraqis have made to us.”

Clinton pointed out that even though the U.S. will withdraw troops from Iraq, it will maintain a strong military presence in the Middle East. She said that no country should doubt the steadfastness of America’s support for Iraqi democracy. Clinton admitted that ultimately it was the Iraqi government’s decision to insist on the removal of U.S. troops. America’s commitment to Iraq does not end with the removal of U.S. troops, she emphasized. The U.S. will remain unswervingly connected to the area.

*Editor’s Note: This quote, accurately translated, could not be verified.