Diary: Barack Obama's world tour

#1
OrangeEmpire

OrangeEmpire

The White Debonair
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#1
Barack Obama arrived, looking much like any other tourist visiting Amman's historic citadel, his jacket slung casually over his shoulder, his eyes sweeping over the ancient Roman ruins, before moving to take in the panorama of old Amman.
And then - under the watchful eye of his secret service detail - it was down to business.
Jacket on. Water swigged down. Talking points out.
He was not alone.
The senators who had been with him in Iraq and Afghanistan - Democrat Jack Reed and Republican Chuck Hagel - were the brief warm-up acts, before the Man Hoping To Be President gave his assessment of the situation there.
He spoke and took questions for about 45 minutes, justifying his continued embrace of a timetable for US troop withdrawal from Iraq, despite the attempts of the top US commander, General David Petraeus, to change his mind. He had listened to the general's advice, considered it, but had taken his own decision.
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BBC NEWS | Americas | Diary: Barack Obama's world tour

Thoughts?
 
#3
#3
I have a thought.

Obama's smug brush off of Petraeus is steeped in his enormous wealth of experience and understanding of the strategic implications of a rapid withdrawal. Goodness knows he's an attorney AND a freshman senator who reads from a teleprompter better than most.

Seriously, what's a 4 bullet professional Army lifer know that Barack doesn't.
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#4
#4
I watched the press conference and Obama repeatedly refused to acknowledge the surge's success but tried to say the troops did a good job. He attributed the improved security partially to the surge, partially to Mooky Al Sadr playing nice and partially to Sunni's shunning AQ. What he doesn't acknowledge is how the Patreus strategy was crucial to all 3 of the reasons he listed and most importantly, how without the surge, the improvement in security would not exist. He basically acts as if his opposition to the surge was correct and that we'd be where we are now regardless.

He chastised any suggestion that he has a set strategy yet repeated his strategy of withdrawal. I was unaware of his brush off of Patreus but that is more troubling given his attempts to clarify his Iraq strategy and link it to the wishes of the Iraqi government.

A key distinction between Obama and the Iraqi government is that Obama speaks of withdrawal within "x" time as a strategy and the Iraqi government (as well as current admin and McCain) speak of it as a goal. There is a huge difference. The goal for Obama is withdrawal with reaction if that goes bad. The goal for McCain (and Iraq) is stability and withdrawal as that occurs.
 
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#5
#5
One more unsolicited comment. I'm sure we all remember the hue and cry about Bush being unable to admit mistakes. Why can't he admit mistakes?

Today while downplaying the effect of the surge, Obama said he would still oppose it even knowing what he knows now (sound familiar?) - but somehow he is flexible in his view of Iraq? Why can't he admit mistakes? The same reason Bush couldn't - it's political suicide.

Hooray for new-style politics.
 
#6
#6
His being in country has provided him an enormous wealth of knowledge. That knowledge, heaped upon that he had amassed in his decades of experience helped him decide that he knows more than the Pentagon, Petraeus, the current administration and our state department.

He's an amazingly quick study.
 
#8
#8
The claiming of the committee is rather disturbing. I'm sure as with everything else, it will be a nonstory. This guy can say anything and it will not matter. Most media will not cover anything anti-Obama.
 
#11
#11
KB5252 said:
Please explain BPV. I don't know where you are going.
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I think he's saying that the Katie Couric's of the Israeli media have a selective fact checking apparatus in place that is similar to the one at CBS.

/sarcasm
 
#12
#12
KB5252 said:
Please explain BPV. I don't know where you are going.
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just my typical sarcasm. The Israelis can't afford to miss a detail and they don't. Lying to them over something so inconsequential is just stupid and can't help future relations (assuming Obama will continue to be a SENATOR on the yadda, yadda committee.)
 
#13
#13
BigPapaVol said:
just my typical sarcasm. The Israelis can't afford to miss a detail and they don't. Lying to them over something so inconsequential is just stupid and can't help future relations (assuming Obama will continue to be a SENATOR on the yadda, yadda committee.)
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:good!:
 
#14
#14
Drudge is reporting some sort of protest mob scene at the Western Wall in Jerusalem when Obama went there this morning.
 
#15
#15
GAVol said:
Drudge is reporting some sort of protest mob scene at the Western Wall in Jerusalem when Obama went there this morning.
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s-OBAMA-large.jpg
 
#16
#16
did any of you notice the story that ran (I can't remember the channel) of some agency providing Palestinians with video cameras to keep from being mistreated by Israelies?
 
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