Unnoticed: Obama drops 2009 pledge to withdraw combat troops from Iraq (Raw Story)

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Unnoticed: Obama drops 2009 pledge to withdraw combat troops from Iraq

By Gareth Porter
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 -- 1:07 pm

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0803/unnoticed-obama-drops-2009-pledge-withdraw-combat-troops-iraq/



WASHINGTON, Aug 3, 2010 (IPS) - Seventeen months after President Barack Obama pledged to withdraw all combat brigades from Iraq by Sep. 1, 2010, he quietly abandoned that pledge Monday, admitting implicitly that such combat brigades would remain until the end of 2011.

Obama declared in a speech to disabled U.S. veterans in Atlanta that "America's combat mission in Iraq" would end by the end of August, to be replaced by a mission of "supporting and training Iraqi security forces".

That statement was in line with the pledge he had made on Feb. 27, 2009, when he said, "Let me say this as plainly as I can: by Aug. 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end."

In the sentence preceding that pledge, however, he had said, "I have chosen a timeline that will remove our combat brigades over the next 18 months." Obama said nothing in his speech Monday about withdrawing "combat brigades" or "combat troops" from Iraq until the end of 2011.

Even the concept of "ending the U.S. combat mission" may be highly misleading, much like the concept of "withdrawing U.S. combat brigades" was in 2009.

[ProSense]

1. False

From the President's speech:

Now, one of those chapters is nearing an end. As a candidate for President, I pledged to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end. (Applause.) Shortly after taking office, I announced our new strategy for Iraq and for a transition to full Iraqi responsibility. And I made it clear that by August 31st, 2010, America’s combat mission in Iraq would end. (Applause.) And that is exactly what we are doing -- as promised and on schedule. (Applause.)

Facts

[27inCali]

2. grasping at straws aren't they?

there are a lot of legitimate places for Lefties to argue with Obama and they absolutely should, but if they want the rest of us to listen to them, they gotta stop trying to make shit up!

[frylock]

6. grasping at straws..

like rebranding BCTs as "advisory and assistance brigades?"

[27inCali]

12. if they are in secured bases training people

as opposed to being out in the field fighting. I don't consider that grasping at all. It's still expensive, but if those kids are coming home alive, they are coming home without horrific experience of blowing away innocent people, it makes a big difference to me.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

4. That's disappointing, because I wouldn't have expected that from Raw Story

I'm not saying I have complete faith that they offer the 100% gospel truth 100% of the time...I just expect their stories to be fact-checked, especially stories of this nature.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

7. Check's in the mail, there, Amerigo

Cash it before the RNC declares bankruptcy.

[SidDithers]

8. You have more faith in RawStory than I do...nt

Sid

[Amerigo Vespucci]

9. It's like Huffington Post, I guess...

...when it first came along, it was like "Hey...a new "Liberal" blog. Great."

Then, over time, it became clear that Arianna had a number of agendas that were being played out, and they criss-crossed party lines, and her allegiance was basically to herself and those agendas.

Other than the Cable News sites, the majority of content I post here is either from Huffington Post, Raw Story, or Crooks & Liars. I take what's posted at face value and if anyone here has the facts to contradict the original source, great.

I still think the three sources I named have more credibility than, as an example, Fox "News"...but in the end, who knows what their motivation is. To have a popular Website, for starters. Beyond that, I can;t tell you.

[frylock]

5. now post a link to his speech about closing guantanamo

[blindpig]

11. Here's some facts for ya:

The following six Brigades are to remain in Iraq:

• 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division
• 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division
• 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment
• 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division
• 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division
• 4th Brigade, 1st Armored Div

The only change will be to re-label them as “advise and assist” units.

Ordinarily, these units would represent significantly more than 50,000 troops when combined with their support units. The difference will be made up, in part, by the 113,000 "contractors", the majority of whom will remain in Iraq (and may even grow in number).


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=post&forum=389&topic_id=8873106&mesg_id=8875520

[Cha]

3. Propaganda babble crap..

thanks Amerigo.

[uponit7771]

10. wow....this person could play basketball...be called stretch