Panetta talks in detail about the Obama Administrations decision not to leave any forces in Iraq.
FOX News Story:
Panetta explained that Iraqi leaders privately wanted some U.S. forces to stay behind after the formal 2011 withdrawal, though they would not say so publicly. The former secretary, though, said the U.S. had “leverage” to strike a deal, and the Defense and State departments tried to do exactly that.
“But,” he wrote, “the President’s team at the White House pushed back, and the differences occasionally became heated. … and those on our side viewed the White House as so eager to rid itself of Iraq that it was willing to withdraw rather than lock in arrangements that would preserve our influence and interests.”
He said the negotiations with then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki went down to the wire in December 2011, but the White House never stepped up.
Obama has claimed that it was the Iraqi Government who didn't want any boots left on the ground and that they had tried to keep some.
However we are now finding out otherwise.
FOX News Story:
Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., though, seized on Panetta's comments -- as well as similar remarks by former Iraq Ambassador Ryan Crocker that the U.S. "could have gotten that agreement" if officials had been more persistent.
"The latest statements by two of the most respected national security officials to serve under President Obama definitively refute the falsehood that this Administration has told the American people for years about their efforts to leave a residual force in Iraq," the senators said in a statement. "As we have said all along ... the Obama Administration never made a full effort to leave a residual force in Iraq."
It has become clear to anyone with any common sense that the Obama Administration, time and time again, has put politics over what is the best thing for the United States.
Many Democrats and their supporters blasted Bush and made comments calling him an idiot. They blasted Romney when he talked about Russia.
Well now if you look back, Bush warned anyone who would listen about withdrawing the troops from Iraq too soon. He said exactly what would happen and it has. So I guess now we know who the not so smart people really are.
We also have seen what Russia has been up to. I guess Romney wasn't off base either. Again I guess we now know who the not so smart people are.
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