Click here to visit the new home of Blackvoices!

HOT ON HUFFPOST BLACKVOICES:

 

Categories

Contributors

Other BV Blogs

Obama to Honor Troops as Iraq Combat Mission Ends

By Jeff Mays on Aug 31st 2010 6:59PM
Filed under: News, Politics, President Obama

Comments (5)

Obama to Honor Troops as Iraq Combat Mission Ends

If remarks from Defense Secretary Robert Gates are any indication, President Barack Obama is doing the smart thing and taking the high road by honoring the men and women of our armed forces who served in Iraq as the combat mission there comes to an official end.

Unofficially, we know the 50,000 troops left behind will be forced to continue in combat engagement to protect their lives, and the president should be equally honest about that as well. We understand that he inherited these wars, but they are now his responsibility to resolve.

Over the course of our seven-year incursion in Iraq, which was based on false intelligence presented by the Bush administration, more than 4,400 soldiers have been killed and 34,000 injured. Who knows how many innocent Iraqi civilians have been killed or maimed.

Gates, likely echoing Obama's tone tonight in his national address, said that this will not be a Bush-type "Mission Accomplished" speech:

"This is not a time for premature victory parades or self-congratulation, even as we reflect with pride on what our troops and their Iraqi partners have accomplished," Gates told an American Legion audience in Milwaukee, according to the AP. "I am not saying all is, or necessarily will be, well in Iraq."

I think most Americans feel that way.

"Iraq has an opportunity to create a better future for itself, and the U.S. is more secure" because of that mission, Obama told troops today at Fort Bliss, Texas.

That said, Obama needs to discuss this country's long-term entanglement with Iraq and how we intend to secure the mess we created.



I want to know when all U.S. troops will be home. I'm also curious about whether troops will be called back in to combat mode.

Here's the response Press Secretary Robert Gibbs gave when asked that question. The AP writes:

Asked if Obama would support sending combat troops back if new waves of violence threatened the country, Gibbs said that Obama had been assured recently by commander Gen. Ray Odierno that such a scenario would be very unlikely. "This is not a victory lap," he said. "You're not going to see any 'Mission Accomplished' banners that will be unfurled."

That middling answer is the very thing the president needs to clear up. An assurance from a U.S. general that a foreign country won't fall into chaos again is not much of an answer.

I'm also concerned because, although we are removing troops from Iraq, we are adding them in Afghanistan; approximately 100,000 troops are now in Afghanistan.

Honestly, I don't think most Americans know why we are still in either country, other than some vague notion of stopping terrorism. So as President Obama praises the troops, he also needs to explain where America is headed and when our military aggression will come to an end. I'd also like to hear a plan for non-military efforts to stop terrorism.

Americans deserve these answers.

Comments: (4)

Add a comment

Page 1 of 1

Add a Comment

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed but they are required to confirm your comments. When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password."

Most Commented Articles

Daily Drama

The Best Clips From TV's Hottest Shows

More Daily Drama >>

Find a Message Board

Discover conversations on everyone from Barack to Beyonce. There are nearly 50 forums, so click on a category below and find the right one for you.