Obama's Bad Case Of Iraqnophobia, By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY

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Obama's Bad Case Of Iraqnophobia


By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY


| Posted Friday, October 24, 2008 4:20 PM PT

Iraq War: We don't have to wait to see Barack Obama tested by a foreign crisis. His judgment was already tested on Iraq and found wanting. John McCain passed the test, and a holocaust was avoided.


In a July interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, McCain spoke of the political risk he took in supporting the surge in Iraq. "I knew (it) was right for the country because of my background and experience and knowledge and judgment. Sen. Obama . . . voted to cut off funding for the troops in Iraq, and still will not acknowledge that the surge has succeeded."

In early September, while taping a segment for Fox's "O'Reilly Factor," Obama grudgingly admitted the surge of U.S. troops had "succeeded beyond our wildest dreams." Despite that, even with the benefit of hindsight, he still would have opposed it.

Obama was asked by ABC's Terry Moran: "If you had to do it over again, knowing what you know now, would you support the surge?" Obama replied: "No, because keep in mind that . . . " An incredulous Moran interrupted, "You wouldn't?" Obama continued:

"Keep in mind . . . these kinds of hypotheticals are very difficult. Hindsight is 20/20. But I think that, what I'm absolutely convinced of, is that at that time we had to change the political debate because the view of the Bush administration at that time was one that I just disagreed with." In 2007, Obama said: "I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq is going to solve the sectarian violence. In fact, I think it will do the reverse."

Also that year, Obama introduced legislation to have all U.S. troops out of Iraq by March of this year. Had we listened to him then, a free and democratic Iraq would not exist now. The jihadist victory would have rivaled the killing fields of Cambodia after Democrats forced us to withdraw from Vietnam. The troops would already be home, their sacrifice in vain.

Perhaps the most stunning criticism of Obama's Iraq policy was uttered by his own running mate, Joe Biden, who criticized Obama's May 20, 2007, vote to defund the war. "I am not going to fail to protect these kids as long as we have a single, solitary troop in Iraq," Biden said during a Sept. 8, 2007, appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." "This isn't cutting off the war. This is cutting off support that will save the lives of American troops."

Biden had his own view of Obama's desire to change the political debate on Iraq. In August 2007, the Delaware senator said: "My colleagues voted against the funding to make a political point. . . . There's no political point worth my son's life. There's no political point worth anyone's life."

Obama has not only opposed victory in Iraq, but also has actively worked to undermine it. When he finally met with Iraqi officials in July, he asked them to delay an agreement on a phased withdrawal of American forces based on conditions on the ground.

According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Obama said it was in the interests of both sides not to have a long-term security agreement negotiated by the Bush administration in its "state of weakness and political confusion."

"He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the U.S. elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington," Zebari said. That would wreck Obama's plan for a quick and dangerous withdrawal.

As Obama would cut and run, McCain has pledged to "maintain a presence in a very volatile part of the world where al-Qaida is training, recruiting, equipping and motivating people every single day."

Their very different world views are based on very different life experiences.

McCain fought in a war where Democrats snatched defeat from the jaws of victory after the tremendous sacrifice in lives and treasure. He will not let that happen again and put America's security and people in peril.



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