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Obama and McCain present conflicting views on Iraq
Manchester News.Net
Monday 6th October, 2008
Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain have presented conflicting visions of how they plan to shrink American military presence in Iraq.
According to a New York Times report, Barack Obama, reacting to General Petraeus's demand for "maximum flexibility" in setting withdrawal schedules, said he "pushed back" when he met with the commander in July by making the case for sending more forces to Afghanistan, which the Democratic candidate views as the main battleground against terrorists.
McCain, who argued that a favorable outcome in Iraq is vital for American strategy in the Middle East and its overall efforts against terrorists, repeatedly invoked General Petraeus's counter-insurgency strategy and said he would be inclined to give General Petraeus considerable latitude in setting force levels in Iraq.
At the heart of the dispute is Obama's 16-month schedule for withdrawing American combat brigades, a timetable that is about twice as fast as that provided for in a draft American and Iraqi accord.
On the surface, the two candidates' views on troop cuts appear to have converged: each candidate envisions reductions in American force over his first term, as does the Iraqi government. But the similarities vanish upon closer inspection.
Obama's views on troop cuts were forged in late 2006 as Iraq appeared to be approaching a full-scale civil war. Drawing on the bipartisan Iraq Study Group report, he opposed Bush's troop reinforcement plan and sponsored legislation in January 2007 that would have removed all American combat brigades by the end of March 2008, while allowing a small force to remain for training, counter-terrorism and the protection of American Embassy and personnel.
Mr. Obama has said he would remove the remaining combat brigades at the rate of one or two a month over a 16-month period.
He has argued that it is important to set a new course that would put pressure on the Iraqis to overcome their differences, free up more American forces for Afghanistan and other potential trouble spots, and reduce expenditures so they could finance programs at home.
McCain has argued that reductions should be determined by political and military circumstances, a stance taken by Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Asked to clarify his views, Mr. McCain said that he envisioned "the withdrawal of U.S. troops over time."
He said the question of whether there should be a long-term American military presence in Iraq for training or other purposes should be resolved in discussions with the Iraqis, and cited Kuwait as a possible model.
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Comments on this story
Anonymous
10-06-08, 08:44 AM |
Obama and McCain present conflicting views on Iraq
I fully agree with General Washington, that we must protect this young nation from an insidious influence and impenetration.The menace, gentlemen, is the Jews.
In whatever country Jews have settled in any great number, they have lowered its moral tone; depreciated its commercial integrity; have segregated themselves and have not been assimilated; have sneered at and tried to undermine the Christian religion upon which that nation is founded, by objecting to its restrictions; have built up a state within the state; and when opposed have tried to strangle that country to death financially, as in the case of Spain and Portugal.
For over 1,700 years, the Jews have been bewailing their sad fate in that they have been exiled from their homeland, as they call Palestine. But gentlemen, did the world give it to them in fee simple, they would at once find some reason for not returning. Why? Because they are vampires, and vampires do not live on vampires. They cannot live only among themselves. They must subsist on Christians and other people not of their race.
If you do not exclude them from these United States, in their Constitution, in less than 200 years they will have swarmed here in such great numbers that they will dominate and devour the land and change our form of government, for which we Americans have shed our blood, given our lives our substance and jeopardized our liberty.
If you do not exclude them, in less than 200 years our descendants will be working in the fields to furnish them substance, while they will be in the counting houses rubbing their hands. I warn you, gentlemen, if you do not exclude Jews for all time, your children will curse you in your graves.
Jews, gentlemen, are Asia tics, let them be born where they will nor how many generations they are away from Asia, they will never be otherwise. Their ideas do not conform to an American’s, and will not even thou they live among us ten generations. A leopard cannot change its spots. Jews are Asia tics, are a menace to this country if permitted entrance, and should be excluded by this Constitutional Convention.
-Benjamin Franklin
1787, at The Constitutional Convention, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Anonymous
10-06-08, 08:45 AM |
this is the difference between a jews slave and not so slave of jews.
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Anonymous 8:45am
10-06-08, 10:15 AM |
silly me
Oh I forgot to mention I just had a big gas attack. Man do I STINK!!
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Army Mom 114
10-06-08, 07:08 PM |
stupid
I sure hope the American people realize what a big jerk McCain is!! He is such a hero of war, send his butt to Iraq. Vote for the real man..
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Army Mom 114
10-06-08, 07:08 PM |
stupid
I sure hope the American people realize what a big jerk McCain is!! He is such a hero of war, send his butt to Iraq. Vote for the real man..
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Son of Abraham
10-21-08, 03:42 AM |
And the Jews will inherit the earth....
What is your problem with the Jews? They are a colourful race of many tribes who have influenced the world greatly...in all your jealousy, you are bitter and fail to realise the chosen people are a people of great tradition who have suffered immensely over the years. They are been bullied, ripped apart and yet they have survived. They are a very special people, and your narrow minded views are just so out of date, and so wrong in every way. Yes they have spread out all over the world and become very powerful...so what? Its because they are smart and know how to achieve success. Take a look at the most powerful influential figures over time and you will discover what race they are...sons/daughters of Abraham. Israel has some barbaric and terrible things going on their now...we know that, and the far right in that country are probably the most racist people you will ever know...Zionism has many faults...but you do not paint 20 million people with the same brush...get educated and get a life....btw Jesus and Einstein...what race where they again?
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Anonymous
10-07-08, 10:49 AM |
The real man being Chuck Baldwin or Ron Paul?
Army Mom 114;107525:
I sure hope the American people realize what a big jerk McCain is!! He is such a hero of war, send his butt to Iraq. Vote for the real man..
I hope you don’t mean the Joke Obama who is so dense he can’t figure out how many states he wants to be President of!
http://www.usiap.org/
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Fu
10-16-08, 04:27 PM |
Fu
whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttttttttare you talking about
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funkygrl
10-29-08, 05:40 PM |
WUZZUP?
HEEYYY! WUDDUP MY HOMIES? THIS B FUNKYGRL ON THE LINE! HEY, SILLY ME, YOU DO STINK! I CAN SMELL YOU ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE COMPUTER SCREEN. HEY, FU, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE R TALKING ABOUT. HEY, GOTTA GO. PEACE OUT MY HOMIES!
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