Revisionist History in the Making: Obama and the Iraq War

On Tuesday, Barack Obama made a few remarks about the June 30th transition of power from the United States military to the Iraqi military within Iraqi cities. He properly thanked both the men and women in the military and the civilian personnel for all of their outstanding and much appreciated work. However, in typical Obama fashion, he failed to mention the successes of President George W. Bush and ignored the reality of his own political party’s position throughout the entire war – and most importantly, his very own rhetoric and opposition to it every step along the way.

The Usurper-in-Chief made the following statement, among others:

“There’s more work to be done, but we’ve made important progress in supporting a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq. And everyone who’s served there, both in uniform as well as our civilians, deserves our thanks.”

What he said is very true – we have made much progress and there is still plenty of work to be done. But without the decisions by President Bush and the military personnel that the Democrat Party and its supporters demonized and ridiculed (see: “terrorizing” women and children, “General Betray Us”), it would not have been possible. In fact, it can be very reasonably argued that the anti-Bush and anti-war sentiments overwhelmingly articulated by Obama and his fellow Democrats actually made the situation in Iraq more difficult than it already was. And as we have been told a multitude of times, Obama has been against this war from the very beginning.

“What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend warriors in this administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne.”

“What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income – to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression. That’s what I’m opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics.” – Barack Obama, his famous anti-war speech, October 2, 2002

Yes, it is quite ironic (and nauseating) that the man who has never supported the Iraq War now finds himself able to take credit for its successes in front of a largely ignorant and stupid public. And make no mistake about it – he will take the credit. But what is missed by so many is the undeniable fact that the Iraqi people would have never had this chance at self-government if it was not for the policies of the Bush Administration and the determination of the United States military fighting in the face of public slander and condemnation from both our politicians and the media.

For Obama to iterate the words, “we’ve made important progress in supporting a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq,” is offensive to the sensibilities. He has made it quite clear that we should have never been in Iraq and had voted repeatedly to withdraw all of our forces from the country before securing victory.

“When it comes to the war in Iraq, the time for promises and assurances, for waiting and patience is over. Too many lives have been lost and too many billions have been spent for us to trust the President on another tried-and-failed policy, opposed by generals and experts, opposed by Democrats and Republicans, opposed by Americans and even the Iraqis themselves. It is time to change our policy. It is time to give Iraqis their country back, and it is time to refocus America’s effort on the wider struggle against terror yet to be won.” – Obama, 1-19-07

“Well, look, if we had followed my judgment originally, we wouldn’t have been in Iraq. We’re here now. And we’ve got no good options. We got bad options and worse options. The only way we’re going to stabilize Iraq and make sure that al Qaeda does not take over in the long term is to begin a phased redeployment so that we don’t have anti-American sentiment as a focal point for al Qaeda in Iraq.” – Obama, 8-8-07, AFL-CIO forum for Democrats

“Remember what General Petraeus said this week. He said as a consequence of the surge, we have reduced the violence back to the levels that existed back to June of 2006. That’s the success we are being touted, that we are back to where we were 15 months ago. That’s all - that is the strategy that was presented this week and that is the strategy that the president will be talking about tonight.” – Obama, 9-13-07

“There is no doubt that because we put American troops in Iraq - more American troops in Iraq - that they are doing a magnificent job. They are making a difference in certain neighborhoods. But the overall strategy is failed because we have not seen any change in behavior among Iraq’s political leaders.” – Obama, 11-15-07, Democrat debate in Las Vegas

“I will offer a clear contrast as somebody who never supported this war. I don’t want to just end the war, but I want to end the mindset that got us into war in the first place.” – Obama, 1-31-08, Democrat debate in L.A.

“And I am running for President because it’s time to turn the page on a failed ideology and a fundamentally flawed political strategy, so that we can make pragmatic judgments to keep our country safe. That’s what I did when I stood up and opposed this war from the start, and said that we needed to finish the fight against al Qaeda.” – Obama, 3-19-08 in North Carolina

“This war distracts us from every threat that we face and so many opportunities we could seize. This war diminishes our security, our standing in the world, our military, our economy, and the resources that we need to confront the challenges of the 21st century.” – Obama, 7-15-08

George W. Bush was not a perfect president and the Iraq War strategy did have some flaws. Nevertheless, it was under his watch that Saddam Hussein was removed from power, the Iraqi people were liberated from tyranny, they held the first open elections in 50 years, and a more democratic government emerged in the heart of the Arab world. That cannot be taken away from him no matter how much Obama and the rest of the left deny him the proper gratitude. And the events that happened on Tuesday were a result of the negotiations made between Bush and the Iraqi leadership last summer and fall. That must certainly aggravate the new administration.

Other remarks uttered by Obama on Tuesday touched another nerve and reeked of absolute hypocrisy and intentional deceit. This next quote is almost as disgraceful as it gets.

“And today’s transition is further proof that those who have tried to pull Iraq into the abyss of disunion and civil war are on the wrong side of history.”

One needs to look no further than Barack Hussein Obama and his vice-president, Joe Biden, to understand exactly what was meant by these words. It was the two of them – along with most of the Democrat Party – that tried to exaggerate the intentional stoking of sectarian passions and violence by insurgent leaders in Iraq and foreign operatives from neighboring countries. It was their rhetoric and hyperbole that inspired continual denunciation of our war efforts by their congressional colleagues and the media.

“Our troops have done all that they have been asked and more, but no amount of American soldiers are gonna solve the political differences that lie in the heart of the sectarian conflict.” – Obama, 4-10-07, Virtual town hall meeting hosted by MoveOn.org

“What hadn’t changed was there’s still enormous suspicion between the Sunni and the Shia. And until that gets resolved and the central government is able to bring in Sunnis and give them confidence that their voices are heard; that their interests are met; that their constituencies are benefiting from oil revenues; and other steps that the government may be taking to improve economic opportunity – I think you’re still gonna have a fragile situation there.” – Obama, 7-22-08, CBS News interview

The second quote is the same type of rhetoric Obama uses to drive a wedge between different groups of people here in the United States. But surprisingly, this language seems tame to that of Joe Biden’s absurd claims and complete ineptitude.

“The problem in Iraq today is a self-sustaining cycle of sectarian violence. To maintain a unified Iraq, you have to decentralize it. You have to give the courage to the Sunnis and Shias, control over the fabric of their daily lives, control over the local police forces, rules relating to marriage and divorce and education – all the things they’re killing each other over.” – Biden, 4-10-07, Virtual town hall meeting hosted by MoveOn.org

“He operates on the premise that, if we put enough troops in the middle of a civil war, we can give breeding room to a group of people in Baghdad to get together and form a strong central government that’s a democracy. That will not happen in your lifetime or mine. I said that four years ago; I say it now. The only rational purpose for troops in Iraq now: train Iraqis, prevent al-Qaeda from occupying large chunks of territory, and we should begin to decentralize the government.” – Biden, 4-29-07, NBC’s Meet the Press

“The next president, when he or she takes office, will be left with absolutely no margin for error. They will have to immediately end this war in a way that doesn’t mortgage our future for a generation and turn to hotspots in the world before they become new wars. We must recognize the reality on the ground. This is a vicious, self- sustaining cycle of civil war.” – Biden, 7-12-07, NAACP forum

“The civil war is going to get worse. And Iraq is not going to split into three parts. It’s going to splinter into many parts. The biggest problem is the administration doesn’t deal with what’s on the ground. On the ground, you have prime minister that who is incapable - and, I think, does not have the desire – to make the kind of accommodation needed with the Sunnis. We’re in the midst of a civil war with nobody. Nobody in this administration offering a political alternative brought about by the international community.” – Biden, 7-15-07

The selective memory of Barack Obama – or that of his teleprompter – is quite telling. He obviously believes that the public is generally stupid and uninformed, and it would appear that he is right in assuming that. He also correctly assumed that most news outlets would not point out his fervent anti-war position and the duplicity of his statements.

It was politicians like Obama and Biden who opposed Bush and the strategies that have ultimately been successful. It was the current usurper and vice-president along with their Democrat colleagues who said that “the war is lost” and claimed the “civil war” could not be suppressed. It was these politicians and their sycophants who spewed their abhorrent venom at anyone who supported the Iraq War or the surge, which both Obama and Biden practically refused to concede had worked once the evidence overwhelmingly proved that it did.

The flimflam that Obama constantly passes off to the American People and the rest of the world without being questioned is stupefying, to say the least. It is shameful to witness such outright deception when the facts are out there staring us in the face. The media should have mercilessly derided him for the statements he made on Tuesday. To allow these comments to stand without rebuke is thoroughly dishonorable.

As we approach Independence Day and celebrate our history, our liberties, and the great sacrifices made to protect this nation, we ought to seriously consider the direction this country is heading under such fraudulent leadership and a subservient media. When a politician can adamantly oppose a war, express contempt for it, and call for retreat for nearly seven years, then give statements regarding its successes and criticizing those who attempted to undermine it – without repercussions – it’s time to think about how much power and influence we truly have as a citizenry.

No citizen or patriot ought to allow such a perversion of current or recent events, nor should they permit one of our best checks on our government to give these blatant deceptions a pass. Shame on them for committing the treachery – but shame on us for not standing up and condemning it in a collective, thunderous voice.

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