over there

Obama Turns Everyone’s Attention to That Other, Less Depressing War

With American troops experiencing their deadliest month in Afghanistan so far, and popular support waning for continuing the war effort, with even Nancy Pelosi unable to say that the war is still worth fighting, President Obama is using a speech today to remind America of the other war, the one that is actually ending very soon, just like he said it would. Obama will tell the Disabled American Veterans today that, as he promised, America’s “combat mission” in Iraq will end by August 31. Only (“only”) 50,000 troops will remain, but their activities will be focused on “training Iraqi security forces, protecting American personnel and facilities and mounting counterterrorism operations.”

Obama plans to hold several “similar events in coming weeks to draw attention to the transition in Iraq,” which is “one of his most important, if largely unheralded decisions.” A decision, of course, that was made possible by his predecessor, George W. Bush. Obama will probably give Bush credit for this, right?

In excerpts of his Georgia speech released by the White House, Mr. Obama hails the improved security in Iraq, without mentioning that he opposed the troop buildup ordered in 2007 by his predecessor, President George W. Bush, that along with a strategy change is credited by many with turning the war around.


Oh. Well, he probably implies it somewhere.

Obama to Reaffirm Iraq Withdrawal Strategy Is On Track [NYT]

Obama Turns Everyone’s Attention to That Other, Less Depressing War