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August 31, 2010 in Nation/World
Obama ends Iraq combat effort: Time to turn page
In this image from video, President Barack Obama speaks from the Oval Office at the White House on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2010, about the end of the U.S. combat role in Iraq.
(Full-size photo)(All photos)
WASHINGTON — Fiercely opposed to the war from the start, President Barack Obama formally ended the U.S. combat role in Iraq after seven long years of bloodshed, declaring firmly tonight: “It is time to turn the page.” Claiming no victory, he said the nation’s most urgent priority now must be fixing its own sickly economy.
From the Oval Office, where George W. Bush first announced the invasion that would come to define his presidency, Obama addressed millions who were divided over the war in his country and around the world. He said the United States “has paid a huge price” to give Iraqis the chance to shape their future — a price that now includes more than 4,400 dead, tens of thousands of troops wounded and hundreds of billions of dollars spent since March 2003.
In a telling sign of the domestic troubles weighing on the United States and his own presidency, Obama turned much of the emphasis in a major war address to the dire state of U.S. joblessness.
In his remarks of slightly less than 20 minutes, only his second address from the Oval Office, Obama looked directly into the TV camera, hands clasped in front of him on his desk, family photos and the U.S. and presidential flags behind him.
Even as he turns control of the war over to the Iraqis — and trying to cap one of the most divisive chapters in recent American history — Obama is escalating the conflict in Afghanistan. He pledged anew that the United States would keep up the fight in that war, the longest since Vietnam.
And in Iraq, for all the finality of Obama’s remarks, the war is not over. More Americans are likely to die. The country is plagued by violence and political instability, and Iraqis struggle with constant shortages of electricity and water.
Obama is keeping up to 50,000 troops in Iraq for support and counterterrorism training, and the last forces are not due to leave until the end of 2011 at the latest.
As the commander in chief over a war he opposed, Obama took pains to thank troops for their sacrifice but made clear he saw the day as more the marking of a mistake ended than a mission accomplished. He spoke of strained relations with allies, anger at home and the heaviest of wartime tolls.
“We have met our responsibility,” Obama said. “Now it is time to turn the page.”
To underscore his point, Obama said he had telephoned called Bush, whom he had taunted so often in the 2008 campaign, and he prominently praised the former Republican president in the heart of his speech.
“It’s well known that he and I disagreed about the war from its outset,” Obama said. “Yet no one could doubt President Bush’s support for our troops, or his love of country and commitment to our security.”
In a post-Sept. 11, 2001, world, the Iraq war began with bipartisan congressional backing — based on what turned out to be flawed intelligence — over what Bush called a “grave danger” to the world posed by Saddam Hussein.
Now, Iraq is in political turmoil, its leaders unable to form a new government long after March elections that left no clear winner. The uncertainty has left an opening for insurgents to pound Iraqi security forces, hardly the conditions the U.S. envisioned for this transition deadline, which Obama announced 18 months ago.
Obama pressed Iraq’s leaders anew, saying it was time to show urgency and be accountable.
Obama sought both to assure his own nation that the war was finally winding down and yet also promise Iraq and those watching across the Middle East that the U.S. was not simply walking away.
“Our combat mission is ending,” he said, “but our commitment to Iraq’s future is not.”
Ancient Roman wrecks found in deep water 
liarsinnews on August 31 at 7:19 a.m.
Talk about a facade.
SpokaneLiberal on August 31 at 7:47 a.m.
Mission Accomplished??? That facade?
misjustice on August 31 at 8:03 a.m.
A Cod piece inserted into a flight suit, a battle ship moved to ensure that an American city is not in the background [ giving the illusion that the ship was far out to sea ], and a large banner stating “Mission Accomplished” stretched across the ship? That facade?
Albert on August 31 at 8:13 a.m.
Closing of Iraq thus guaranteeing the blood bath of Sunni’s v.s. Shiite’s for decades to come - like it use to be? That facade??
The slaughter of American Service Personnel with ever-increasing numbers in Afghanistan that was made as a campaign promise? That facade?? A war that is guaranteed to cost taxpayers untold billions and accomplish absolutely nothing - that facade??
The economy is improving - that facade?
We will soon merge with the European Community for mutual financial stability and expand the provisions for a one world government? That’s not a facade.
What reality show are we watching today good friends?
Scoutster on August 31 at 8:20 a.m.
Albert, sounds like you are watching the Trilateral Commission Hour.
Obama would do well to credit W with the surge. It did work for what it was intended, even tho the reason it was needed was bonehead.
It’s kinda like praising your kid for doing a good cleaning up the floor after they dropped the milk carton.
Iraq was one of the USA’s biggest blunders EVER. Whether we say that out loud or not, everyone knows it.
Ninch on August 31 at 8:25 a.m.
The facade is that Obama is taking credit for Iraq (surge and all) and with a straight face saying that he is not. It was like a few days ago that Obama took credit for rebuilding New Orleans although the federal bureacracy (not under his watch) is still putting up roadblocks. Implicit in all his comments is that Bush is at fault and Obama is the almighty know-it-all god-like rescuer… and things would be so much worse if Obama had not been elected. Not that is true hubris.
Ninch on August 31 at 8:30 a.m.
Some kind of Freudian typo, i.e. (not under his watch) when I meant “now” under his watch. I must have been referring to Obama’s adolescent behavior where he does not take authentic responsibility for his own actions/inactions and is always blaming Bush.
bdr on August 31 at 8:52 a.m.
Who cares……we got the OIL……… Job complete.
nom nom nom nom num nom num nom. slurp……gurgle.
horse_feathers on August 31 at 8:55 a.m.
B HO has pimped us again.
misjustice on August 31 at 8:56 a.m.
How about a trip down memory lane?
“I can’t tell you if the use of force in Iraq today will last five days, five weeks or five months, but it won’t last any longer than that.”
Donald Rumsfeld
“It is easier to get into something than to get out of it”.
Donald Rumsfeld
“There are a lot of people who lie and get away with it, and that’s just a fact.”
Donald Rumsfeld
“I don’t do quagmires.”
Donald Rumsfeld
“There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don’t know we don’t know.”
Donald Rumsfeld
“Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war.”
Donald Rumsfeld
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/donald_rumsfeld.html
spokanada on August 31 at 9:14 a.m.
What was the point if the war again. Oh yeah, I forgot, WMD and Al Qaeda in Iraq. Two reasons that were proven to be complete lies. So what did we accomplish after 4500 dead soldiers and 1 trillion spent?
BDR says it best! nom nom nom we got the oil nom nom nom
The Iraqi’s were better off before we got there.
mikeln on August 31 at 10:41 a.m.
We found the WMD in Iraq and it was us. The government accomplished what it wanted, more bloodshed in the middle east that may last for decades to come. Job security for those in the buisness of making things to kill people. What nonesense.
misjustice on August 31 at 11:22 a.m.
No bid contracts [ cost plus ] for Sick Dick Cheney’s cronies [ Halliburton, Kellogg Brown and Root ], one of the largest transfers of wealth [ from the Treasury to select corporations ] in the history of war profiteering = Mission Accomplished!
While the stated ‘reason’ for ‘liberating’ Iraq changed monthly, one thing remained constant and didn’t change, the funneling of money to private contractors.
spokanada on August 31 at 11:46 a.m.
Misjustice, you can’t blame Bush and Cheney. If the general public wasn’t so stupid and Fixed News wasn’t spinning the lies this would have never happened or it would have ended a lot earlier.
Case in point, there are SR readers who believe that there were Iraq ties to 9-11 and that Al Qaeda was in Iraq before the invasion.
As long as there is an uneducated, misinformed public, the government will get away with this BS. And those who oppose it will be labeled unamerican or even worse, an elitist!
horse_feathers on August 31 at 12:44 p.m.
You can fool some of the people all of the time.
Dazzeetrader1980 on August 31 at 1:52 p.m.
Not ALL…just most;) Obama’s not fooling anyone.
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2010/08/gop_surges_in_generic_ballot.html?obref=obinsite
Scoutster on August 31 at 2:15 p.m.
Poor Daisy…
You are in for such a let down.
flutieflakes on August 31 at 3:36 p.m.
Daisy- can you say “outlier”?
There’s no doubt Republicans have made large strides in generic polls, but cherry-picking an outlining poll when most generics have had Republicans at a 5 or 6% lead is misleading.
Also, keep in mind that generic polling lumps right-leaning independents with “purebred” Republicans. Furthermore, a generic poll isn’t quite as useful during a mid-term election (where voting is localized) than a national electoral election.
Either way, I’m interested to see how this all plays out over the next 2-3 months and 2+ years.
spokanada on August 31 at 4:09 p.m.
“There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.” —President George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
Shadedmuse on August 31 at 5:15 p.m.
Obama called Bush, before the speach and Bush said want to borrow my flight suit and banner?
flutieflakes on August 31 at 5:22 p.m.
My math might be shaky. Could someone please check it over for me?
4,500 of your best citizens
+ $1 trillion
+ pissing off 1.5 billion Muslims
- 0 real threats in Iraq
= a huge net decrease in American national security.
misjustice on August 31 at 5:56 p.m.
@flutie; I’d add the following
+ Interest on the loans from China to “fight” the war
+ >30,000 severly wounded soldiers requiring on going medical care
+ > 600,000 dead Iraq citizens
+ 2 Million Iraq citizens displaced as refugees
- 0 WMDs
Albert on August 31 at 6:50 p.m.
@Misjustice and @Flutie; what do you believe that we will all be saying and/or quoting about Afghanistan 10 years from now - if we are still here??? We are in the same proverbial dead end position and we all know that this is a “no win”. Sad isn’t it?
I’m a Vietnam era vet and when we up and pulled out, everyone was asking the same questions. What did we accomplish for all the dead and wounded?
It does appear that history continues to repeat itself. The Soviet Union, “i.e.” modern day “Russia” went completely bankrupt and the government toppled because of 10 years in Afghanistan without any success.
Remember the movie “It’s a Mad Mad World”? Kinda reminds us of Iraq and now Afghanistan doesn’t it?
misjustice on August 31 at 7:59 p.m.
Albert, I agree with your point of history repeating itself. Afghanistan is where empires go to die.
It is crazy that we did not learn from the Soviet’s mistakes and now we are facing some of the same problems that they did; how to be an occupying force, the difficulties of what used to be called guerrilla warfare (not sure of the current term for that), graft and corruption in the government of Afghanistan, and citizens as well as soldiers that have grown weary of war. And don’t forget, we had a military presence in Afghanistan backing the mujahideen “Freedom Fighters” in the 80s.
I can’t say what all this killing and destruction has gotten us, besides the oil fields and lots of tax money spent on the war machine…
“…the monthly operating cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is about $16-billion.” A billion of anything is difficult to comprehend.
“To think of it another way,” the book says, “roughly every American household is spending $138 per month on the current operating costs of the wars, with a little more than $100 per month going to Iraq alone.”
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/apr/01/iraq-war-100-month/
spokanecougar on September 01 at 12:41 a.m.
You know, I am getting to the point of letting the conservative freaks become in charge and then maybe the stupid, stupid people of this country will remember just how truly horrendous they were last time they were in charge up until 2006 in which there policies favoring the rich and corporations lead to this Great Depression we are currently enjoying. But whatever, if the stupid tea baggers and conservative freaks are happy with Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Chase Bank, Exxon, Halliburton and other large corporations running the country to have policies that favor them making billions of dollars by shipping your job to China, by all means vote republican you idiots.
gotcha on September 01 at 6:16 a.m.
I see Obama saw fit to leave a little message for the Talaban in Afganstan, letting them know he intends to pull out in 2011 still. Evidently Harvard could not repair Dumb. Why in Gods name does this guy do this? Just makes it more difficult for the troops fighting over there, let alone putting their lives in more risk. I am ready for a new President…This guy just doesn’t get much of anything right.
spokanecougar on September 01 at 8:25 a.m.
gotcha apparently forgets history and Bush putting a timetable for troop withdrawal from Iraq just before he left office. Oh but why worry about the facts when its easier to throw out made up crap.
misjustice on September 01 at 5:17 p.m.
Convenient amnesia strikes, again!
ChefGus/ John Olsen on October 22 at 8:02 a.m.
Morning Folks…. the “collateral damage” is now showing up in the food lines at House of Charity… my personal experience with the Iraq and Afghan Vets is NOT very reassuring… the men and women that came home after multiple deployments… are really really messed up…. the suicide rate is higher than ever… and that is just the suicides that are labeled as such…( not county motorcycle and car accidents etc….) the “cost” of these unfunded wars will continue for 50 years…. come and see the Viet Nam Vets downtown and look at the future for our current crop of brave service people… john