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Edited on Tue Feb-05-08 01:42 PM by Didereaux
Print This Article Tuesday, Feb 5, 2008Sunday, Oct 7, 2007 Posted on Sun, Oct. 07, 2007 Obama in S.C.; toughens security stance TAYLOR BRIGHT Obama said he would withdraw troops from Iraq "tomorrow" if he could, leaving an American Embassy and a strike force, while increasing troops in Afghanistan by two brigades.
"I think we can do an orderly phased withdrawal of one to two brigades a month. At that pace, we would have our combat troops out in about 16 months, and what I would maintain is a very limited presence to protect our embassies, to protect our civilian personnel ... and to have a strike force to go after al-Qaida in Iraq or to engage in other counterterrorist activities."
There are currently some 160,000 troops in Iraq and about 25,000 troops in Afghanistan. Obama said he would not keep American troops in Iraq at the levels they are in South Korea and Germany.
During his speech, he also declared the surge has failed in Iraq and he would close the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba where enemy combatants are being held.
But, Obama said, he would not use the Department of Justice to investigate the administration if elected. "I don't want to waste time as president spending all our time looking backwards. I want to look forward," Obama said, adding the caveat that if evidence of criminal activity arose, he would expect it to be pursued by the Justice Department.
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