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Iraq Confidential: The Paper Obama Probably Doesn’t Want You to See

By SusanUnPC on April 4, 2008 at 1:27 PM in Barack Obama, Iraq

Via MSNBC First Read:

… The New York Sun: “A key adviser to Senator Obama’s campaign is recommending in a confidential paper that America keep between 60,000 and 80,000 troops in Iraq as of late 2010, a plan at odds with the public pledge of the Illinois senator to withdraw combat forces from Iraq within 16 months of taking office.”

“The paper, obtained by The New York Sun, was written by Colin Kahl for the center-left Center for a New American Security. In ‘Stay on Success: A Policy of Conditional Engagement,’ Mr. Kahl writes that through negotiations with the Iraqi government ‘the U.S. should aim to transition to a sustainable over-watch posture (of perhaps 60,000–80,000 forces) by the end of 2010 (although the specific timelines should be the byproduct of negotiations and conditions on the ground).’”

“Mr. Kahl is the day-to-day coordinator of the Obama campaign’s working group on Iraq. A shorter and less detailed version of this paper appeared on the center’s Web site as a policy brief. …

The New York Sun quote concludes:

The campaign has not publicly discussed the size of such a force in the past.

I bet not.

I know so many individuals — both friends and acquaintances — who say that it is Obama’s stand on Iraq, and his early speech in 2002, that compelled them to support Barack Obama.

Don’t you wonder how many of those Obama supporters know about the real story behind Obama’s speech? This story?

The Staged Iraq War Speech & More “Creative” Embellishments

Yes. That famed speech you hear in Obama’s ads is a staged re-creation.

From the NPR story aired on March 25, 2008, “Obama Still Stumps on 2002 Anti-War Declaration,” (audio available) linked in our No Quarter report:

[A]t nearly every campaign rally in his run for the presidency, Obama cites the speech he delivered on that day, in which he came out strongly against the Bush administration on Iraq.

[...]

On the campaign trail, Obama promotes his 2002 speech in steady and relentless fashion.

[...]

Obama counters that the speech demonstrated his sound judgment, and that it showed the kind of political courage a president needs. He says it was risky to deliver such a speech barely a year after the Sept. 11 attacks, at a time when the president was riding high in the polls.

“My objections to the war in Iraq were not simply a speech,” Obama said. “I was in the midst of a U.S. Senate campaign. It was a high-stakes campaign. I was one of the most vocal opponents of the war.” (Obama delivered the speech in October 2002; he did not officially declare his candidacy for the U.S. Senate until January).

[...]

Even in this era of YouTube and camera phones, a recording of Obama’s speech is all but impossible to find. The Obama campaign has gone so far as to re-create portions of the speech for a television ad, with the candidate re-reading the text, with audience sound effects.

[...]

So, just how much attention did the speech attract?

Bill Glauber, who covered the rally for the Chicago Tribune, says he didn’t even quote Obama.

“I guess other media was there,” Glauber says, “but we didn’t quote Barack Obama at his famous anti-war speech. He was not the main guy.”

Glauber says that he did not even mention Obama in his newspaper article on the rally and instead focused on the rally’s other speaker, the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

[...]

Obama cites the speech as an example of his political courage, but David Mendell, author of Obama: From Promise to Power, says the address was not necessarily a risky move.

“I still don’t think it was an inordinate risk here in Illinois, where you have a very blue-state crowd,” Mendell said, adding, “I might take issue with just how risky it was.”

And, now, you know the rest of the story.

:::::

If you missed it, be sure to read about MORE of Obama’s “embellishments” here:

The Staged Iraq War Speech & More “Creative” Embellishments

  • Andy

    Susan(unpc): the link to The New York Sun seems dead (page not found…)

    • Andy
      • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

        Thanks. I copied the link from MSNBC’s site. Will fix it right now. WTG, Andy.

        • Salo

          It’s patently obvious that obama will have American troops in Iraq until about 2013.

          why the media don’t point that out I dunno. Clinton only went so far as to say she’d end the war. Of course, war is a techincal term so she merely promised a new stance toward Iraq–no definite answer on residual troops.

          • Nellie

            Can’t find the links right now but Clinton has firmly said:

            1. No to permanent bases and wrote a letter to Bush Regarding same.

            2. No to Blackwater and other overpriced murderous Mercenaries

            These two points are further as well as firmer than Obama is willing to go.

        • Nellie

          Susan,

          Great Find – seems like the serial liar is finally falling into traps – YEAH!!!

          You may want to read Obama’s April 2007 speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs – he sound like a neo-con on the war

          http://www.wakeupfromyourslumber.com/node/1362

  • owl06

    what a complete fraud.

    • TeakwoodKite

      To the words right out of my mouth.

  • jd

    The Clinton camp should print this and distribute it in Oregon especially in Portland where anti-war voters are pretty strong.

    • Andy

      Not just in Oregon, on NPR they were interviewing this week people in PA (Pittsburgh and Philly) and many many of them said their support from Obama was b/c of his stance against the war and their confidence that he will bring the troops home immediately !!

      There wa salso some poll that gave Obama the largest percentage of the votes among those whose top priority is bringing the troops home immediately.

      Clinton’s camp has to find an effective way of debunking this. The mainuplation of his
      “anti-war stance” and of the race baiting are monumental frauds … Actually…almost everything in his campaign is…

  • Tricia

    My question–How come the MSM covers NONE of this? It is an important story–very important.

    To think that they cover Hillary if she says one word out of place and Obama is free to rampage across the land.

    I feel sick…

    • Salo

      because th efanatically anti war are useful pawns.

      • simon

        No, not really.

        I’d say the fanatic, smug, criminal moose headed CEO’S, republicans and democrats, are far more useful.

        • Salo

          No they are quite handy. Because they’ve been manipulated into picking a candidate who doesn’t give a flying fuck about Healthcare Reform. Obama brings neither peace or UHC.

          wars come and go. Instituting A UHC system would last for 100 years.

          • simon

            But who manipulated them, and who manipulated the would be manipulators into manipulating them, for whatever reason?

            It’s high stake chess, right?

            See, no one is really independent now are they?

            Even fisherman answer to to to the worm.

            Or something like that.

            Sorry.

            • simon

              Along those lines, I would add diplomacy under Bush, actually, strategy under the republicans these last thirty years has been pretty simplistic, hasn’t it?

              I personally find it hard to believe that with the US resources, with the gains the US has made since WW2, the best that can come out of defense, say, is a John Bolton like pong game in the age of asymmetric war.

              Do you really think our military and policy planners, those under Kennedy, Eisenhower, all these years, do you think they missed the boat?

              Connect the dots, every shift changes the outcome, whether it be a radical change in the Chinese government, or the failure of Bear Sterns.

              I mean, we might not see a clear cut US “victory” (integrated victory, I mean, military, political and economic, I am not speaking of the troops in Iraq) for another 15-25 years.

              And it might have been planned that way.

              But in the interm, Russia settles since the fall of the old USSR, and China finds it ground, maybe needs to open it’s government, a little, and the oil situation is resolved, somewhat, all those facotors, and more, figure in, right?

          • Militarytracy

            Hey now, don’t go all negative like that……….with Obama driving maybe a war can last a 100 years too.

            • Salo

              gollows humour.

    • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

      Fox News is on it. I’ve heard them mention it at least once hourly for the past three hours. Quoting the New York Sun story.

      More proof about who’s really “fair and balanced,” as Larry and DCMediaGirl pointed out yesterday.

      (that’s a hell of a story. If you haven’t read it yet, please do.)

  • Mr.Murder

    The W.O.R.M. turns.

    • http://hyper-educated-uppity-woman.blogspot.com Uppity

      He’ll shrug it off and CNN and MSNBC will continue to have News-Sex with him.

      • Muppity

        …hold your nose and vote for McCain. At least I know he has never behaved in a sexist fashion…

        Hey Uppity, what does your hyper education tell you about this?

        “Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?
        Because her father is Janet Reno.” John McCain

  • blobert

    Another awesome report from Susan.
    This is unbelievable.

    BTW – I just dropped TimeWarner’s internet service after growing weary of watching CNN presumptuously decide our elections.

    They screwed Gore and Kerry, and this time we’re putting our foot down.

    • rjj

      Congratulations. The toxic box pollutes one’s life’s time.

      It also causes weight gain and stupidity.

  • Fleaflicker

    I am looking forward to hearing all the explainers for this one. Should be amusing.

    • Andy

      You can have a flavor for them : go to the MSNBC link
      Susan put above and look at the comments : you’ll experience alternative logic . Here is a sample of one:

      I am not concerned that position papers are exploring lots of options. I would be more concerned if people WERE NOT looking at contingencies.

      I am voting for a President who will make a commitment to making it a top priority to get out as soon as possible (obviously we all know that things can change in the World and any moment and that the particulars still need to be worked out). It is a clear articulation of mindset that matters to me, because that’s where you have to start.

      Obama 08

      ps, you know the Clinton campaign (and really all of them at this point, will pounce on anything as you in the media do :) )

      My brain hurt soo much when I read this…that I already took a couple oof aspirins…

      • simon

        Actually, it’s not the mindset, it’s the actions.

        When your boy is taking illegal money up the ying yang, and is associated with perhaps the dirtiest IL government in history, well, you can tell the mindset right there.

        Facts get in the way of Xerox.

        Speaking of, Rezkowatch, by way of another site, has been able to make the argument Obama xeroxed his recent race speech, from, of all people, Louis Farrakhan. Apparently, there are striking similarities between Obama’s recent tome, and Farrakhan’s Million Man March address.

      • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

        They have a rationalization for everything.

        Amusing catch, Andy.

  • http://hyper-educated-uppity-woman.blogspot.com Uppity

    Nothing surprises me about anything he has said any longer. I don’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth. I haven’t for a long time, especially since the time he was finally forced to leave the rally podium, get off the chanting, and actually try say something that isn’t scripted or mem’rized. I bet the Rove machine is salivating at the thought of getting at him. What happened to Kerry will be a cartoon next to what would happen to this guy if they fix his nomination for him. And I would be cheering during the whole thing. I would also want the popcorn concession. He’s writing his own Swift boat scripts. Priceless.

    • Salo

      when he argued about residual troop presence with edwards in teh last but one debate I knew he had no real desire to retreat from iraq.

      He can’t be the first black guy with the job and preside over a military defeat.

      his 2002 speech is a bit like Nixon’s secret plan. it gives him all the cover he needs to lie like a diplomat to the base of the party.

    • pm317

      He lost my trust long time ago.

  • blobert

    I’ll be interested in hearing what the voters in Vermont think. Like maybe one-issue voting was a dumb idea? Maybe they should have taken a close look at the candidates?

  • rjj

    The Potemkin Candidate.

  • Marjorie

    60,000 to 80,000 US troops-and don’t forget Blackwater and buddies.
    Good work, Susan.

  • mostest

    Prediction:

    The PA internal polling numbers will “tell the tale.” If the numbers show a significant number of male white voters are now going to Clinton and any..I mean any…erosion of Obama’s African American support, the SD’s will be ready to commit to HIllary.

    Obama’s electability is taking major hits. His negatives are up and what I am reading–his audio book (his voice) Dreams of my father, REv. Wright, his Wife proud moment, and now Iraq, please.

    Democratic voters will be asking why are we voting for him?

    Is it unity? No. Rev. Wright, Dreams of My father book quotes (again in Obama’s own voice), Million Man March, Farrakah

    Is it out of Iraq? No.

    Is it his economic policies? Cue Crickets

    Why are we voting for him again??

  • http://hyper-educated-uppity-woman.blogspot.com Uppity

    Considering some of his affiliates, I wouldn’t be surprised if he keeps us at war for a long time, only turning the guns in Israel’s direction instead.

    • simon

      Considering some of his affiliates, I wouldn’t be surprised if he keeps us at war for a long time, only turning the guns in Israel’s direction instead.

      As much as I hate to agree with you on this point, I think you’re right.

      At a certain point, all those connections with black extremist groups must mean something, he was very involved with Khalidi, and Pastor Wright is involved with Farrakhan.

      Meeks is part of the Gatekeepers, listed as a black extremist group on the web site of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

      Any other candidate having Obama’s affiliations would be considered a kook, a fringe candidate.

      And who knows where Rezko’s allegiance is…

  • pm317

    Are the anti-war voters listening? Anybody, lurking? Come out of your hiding and let us know how you really feel about this? Any Vermonters here? Let us hear from Mr. Leahy. You have been fooled more than once.

    • Salo

      well, he made a fine speech and wasn’t around at the strat of the war. Those are his credentials…

      Hope he beats Mccain anyway but i am not holding my breath about his likely policy path.

    • Douglas

      I’m not entirely sure why this is such a big deal.

      Barack Obama’s policy on withdrawal from Iraq has always been exactly the same as Hillary Clinton’s. Start the removal of combat troops within 60 days, 1 to 2 brigades a month over 16 months until they’re all gone. Both however leave a number of troops behind as a peace keeping force, a presence to defend US interests such as embassies, diplomats etc, help to continue the training of the Iraqi military and keep Al Qieda in Iraq from strengthening. I imagine for this to be effective it would need to be for at least another 12 to 24 months…maybe longer.

      So lets crunch some numbers.

      If Barack Obama wins the presidency he will be sworn in around the end of January 2009 (The 20th?)

      So lets give him the couple of months he said he needs to start removing troops (we all really know it’s so he can settle in and find the toilets in the WH and or give Bill Ayers the keys to the 3am phone, but lets give him the benefit of the doubt just for a couple of minutes).

      So he will start removing 1 to 2 brigades of combat troops a month from the end of March 2009. (I’m no military expert but from my research a brigade approximately consists of about 4 to 5 thousand troops.)

      There are currently 158000 troops in Iraq, icluding 18 combat brigades.

      So he’s removing anywhere from 4 to 10000 combat troops a month, over 16 months brings us to 90000 troops eventually removed by July/August 2010.

      This leaves behind a presence of about 68000 troops.

      So…how is this memo different to what Obama has been stating up to now?
      He has never said he is anti-war…just anti “dumb” wars. His votes for funding have said different (though it could be argued, rightly, that we’re there, this is happening, and we need to make sure we manage the clusterfuck we’ve created)…Hillary voted FOR the Iraq war, voted for continued funding and voted for a potential war in Iran. It’s a bit rich to gloat that Obama’s anti war stance is coming unraveled when the candidate you support is sitting on the exact same powder keg. Considering Hillary’s plan is EXACTLY THE SAME do you think her execution of it is going to be any different?

      If anything all i see in this memo is some transparency.

      • Salo

        it’s parsimony

  • Fredster

    But what about his words that he would take out entire divisions at a time? (I think he said divisions) Well maybe he meant a brigade or platoon or two. Freakin’ liar.

    • Militarytracy

      It isn’t as if he would know what the difference is between a division, a brigade, and platoon.

  • militarytracy

    The military is always a political pawn during times like these but I despise Obama the most when he does it because it is SO OBVIOUS he has ABSOLUTELY no respect for the military at all. Bill Clinton came to respect them, Hillary Clinton respects them, John McCain respects them and Barack Obama will say anything he thinks will get him nominated and has no idea what the military and their families have gone through nor does he really care. He’s about whatever florid hot air will get him a sound bite. In America being military means being a minority and I don’t need to be considered.

    • Salo

      he appears to be thinking about mideterm elections already. If 40,000 are still there in may they will be there in November.

      So you have an anemic military force guarding Iraq.

      btw General Elphinstone had about 40,000 when he was massacred by the the Afghanis.

      it’s an ominous sounding number. Not quite enough to mount an offensive not enough to have a concentrated retreat and probably not enough to mount a static defense of bases.

      Certainly more than would be required for a friendly occupation.

      Are we heading for a singular disaster?

      • Militarytracy

        He has always sounded like a military disaster looking for a place to happen to me. This makes that even more evident to me. Joe Biden says stupid stuff all the time ;) Even Joe Biden could explain to Obama though why just up and saying bomb Pakistan was so immature it was pathetic – and we haven’t even got to the part where he undermines the stability of Pakistan shooting off stuff like that like he’s all tough and ready to lead! Leading us where and into what is what I want to know!

        • Salo

          I pray for the army daily. they really are in a jam.

      • allimom99

        Well that would be typical. his history is of running for the next office the minute he maneuvers into the current one (this race included). The difference is that this time he has opponents that aren’t going to go away and hand it to him. I don’t think he REALLY worries about midterms because HE still gets another 2 years, and he may not even WANT a 2nd term – it’s all about the GETTING (as with Michelle). Yet another reason we need Hillary. she actually cares about the long-term survival of the party and America in general. I will NEVER give him my vote.

  • John

    Obama was already well on his way to losing 45 states or so in November. Once this gets BIG play– right after the convention, no doubt- he can say goodbye to the rest, as well.

    Once he loses the anti-war base, what else does he have? People who vote exclusively based on skin color?

    This election is already pretty much over. The only silver lining is that McCain will be very vulnerable in four years. By then, maybe someone like Jim Webb will be ready to run- or better yet, Gore will emerge from the ashes to lead us out of the wilderness the Obamatons and the DNC have brought us into.

    • Salo

      mcCain has suggested he will only serve a single term.

      It’s a very De gualle thing to say.

  • anna shane

    he won’t say his Iraq exit plan, he instead repeats over and over that he didn’t vote for war and Hillary did. Nevermind she says she voted for negotiations and to force inspectors into forbidden places, he never says the vote worked for that intended purpose and ought to have prevented Bush from attacking anyway, and that the basis of impeachment has to do with his attacking anyway. But there are big differences he also won’t say – she’s for no occupation, cancel no-bid contracts and open them to international investment which is the necessary base for diplomacy in that region, while he plans to keep those ‘spoils of war’ for Bush’s business cronies. He’ll keep mercenaries to guard them while she’ll ban mercenaries. In other words she’s for no occupation and he’s for some occupation. And now he’s even hedging on his troops. I think it’s a guy thing, he doesn’t want to be labeled the one who lost the war, while she doesn’t give a rootie tootie what she’s called, she knows it’s Bush war, and she’s planned to just get all of us out of there, contractors, troops, Iraqi’s who’ve helped us, the whole kit and caboodle.

  • scorbs

    I’m wondering if this wasn’t intentionally leaked to the press, to appeal to conservative voters so they’d vote for Obama over Clinton in upcoming primaries.

    I’m usually not into conspiracy theories, but that seems to be what’s going on; if you can’t get the blue-collar, women’s, hispanic votes, beef up your numbers by appealing to independents/republicans. He might even get good press on Fox and change the Wright narrative over there.

    • Militarytracy

      If that was the goal, with the majority of the country wanting Iraq done that is a stupid goal. But maybe not when you have half the Democrats utterly brainwashed and too afraid to look under the bandaid. Maybe you can have your cake and eat it too after all.

      • Salo

        would the army, prefer to high tail it out of there as a 160,000 strong machine, or steadily reduce numbers ’til they are stuck with a force too small to fight and too large to quickly airlift?

        Man on man. I really wish some of the generals over there would take the plunge and say what they need and really lay out the scenario. we really need some leadership from our brass.

        I can’t imagine they would trust the iraqis to leave em be as they reduce their strength down to 20,000 men. I wouldn’t want to be in the last 20,000-40,000 strong garrison there.

  • anna shane

    My main problem with his reenactment is that he cites it as the reason to trust that he’ll get us out of Iraq, and also say Hillary is lying when she says her vote was for negotiation, to get the inspectors in to prove whether or not Saddam was lying before attacking. If he were fair he’d say he wasn’t there, and he doesn’t know what was in her head, and that her ability to take out the part that would give him permission to attack anywhere in the middle east, and her consistent demand that the inspectors be allowed to finish. He uses the media claim, the same media that beat the drums for war, to agree that she was lying. It’s wrong of him, and it’s part of his smear campaign, the part that seems to go under the radar of the same media who said that about her in the first place. It’s worse than disingenuous, it shows he’s the one who will say anything, which is what he claims about her. I say, shame on him. Her no occupation pledge is complete while he pledges little and may mean even less.

  • Catriley

    Frankly, whenever I see an orgazation (think tank) with a name like “Center for a New American Security” all I can think of is PNAC (Project For new American Century.) They frighten me!

  • TeakwoodKite

    Why do I get this image of K street squatters fleeing from one side of the street to other?

    Obama has zero credibility in Military affairs and this report is reflective of McPeak (a boo).

    During that speech in Oregon, Obama was so ignorant, he could not even tell McPeak was punkin’ ‘em. How do I know this? Because the retired generals’ position is the same as McCains. So McPeak can get up there and do a song and dance, all the while thinking in his head “what a totally clueless civilian and he can’t imagine even understand WHY I am doing what I am doing!”

    Honesty is not Obama’s strong suit. So why should anyone else around BO the truth…he won’t know if it was python wrapped around his neck.

    Anyone listen to the Foreign relations hearing Biden held regarding the future of Iraq? The Military witness did not have ANY good things to say.

    • TeakwoodKite

      So why should anyone else around BO tell him the truth…he won’t know if it was python wrapped around his neck.

      Sorry about the typo bread crumbs.

  • simon

    http://rezkowatch.blogspot.com/2008/04/one-degree-of-separation-did-obama-lift.html

    This is the link, he did a pretty good job in main point comparison.

    There is a website called turnitin.com, it performs document comparison to check for plagiarism. Many high schools use it to insure the originality of a student’s work.

    Perhaps we should forward the link to Axelrod…

  • llilytoo

    BO is suppose to self destruct, but it’s suppose to be as the Dem nominee and for Macain’s benifit, not Hillary Clintons! That why the Press and others have been hysterically insisting Hillary quit..NOW!!!! from Iowa onwards.
    Because BO could implode at any time.

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