Now that a growing number of top Iraqi officials are talking openly about a timeline for U.S. troop withdrawal, it’s worth taking a moment to consider how this might factor into John McCain’s vision of an indefinite war, followed by an indefinite troop presence.
As luck would have it, McCain was asked about this kind of scenario at the Council of Foreign Relations in 2004, and gave a very straightforward answer.
Question: “What would or should we do if, in the post-June 30th period, a so-called sovereign Iraqi government asks us to leave, even if we are unhappy about the security situation there?”
McCain’s Answer: “Well, if that scenario evolves than I think it’s obvious that we would have to leave because — if it was an elected government of Iraq, and we’ve been asked to leave other places in the world. If it were an extremist government then I think we would have other challenges, but I don’t see how we could stay when our whole emphasis and policy has been based on turning the Iraqi government over to the Iraqi people.” [emphasis added]
Adam Blickstein asked, “Does the John McCain of 2008 agree with this assessment?” Sounds like the kind of question an enterprising political reporter might pose to the Republican candidate.
No Trackbacks To “If Iraqis want U.S. troops to leave, what will McCain say?“
“My friendshhhh…. itsshh time for regime change in Iraq”… that’s what he will say.
if he thinks the REAL thrust of our “policy” in/toward Iraq has been to turn Iraq over to the Iraqis, he needs to change what he’s smoking,.
Sounds like the kind of question an enterprising political reporter might pose to the Republican candidate.
Too bad McCain is screening out questions from “enterprising political reporters.”
“the kind of question an enterprising political reporter”
… hmmm the elders have spoken of such things …
I don’t want the country to be run by a senile old man who glorifies the military and warfare.
Since Iraq is McCain’s only hope in his flailing GOP campaign, it should be interesting to see how his people spin this–clearly, he is intellectually incapable of formulating an idea that would not make him look like the Republican idiot he is. Looks like Iraq is on the side of 70% of Americans who want us out of Iraq.
If they want us out, why would we stay?
Uh.
BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Nixxon/Mobil, uh . . . uh . . . uh . . . uh
If being capture and being tortured for 5+ years qualifies McCain to be president, then there are more than 250 current and former Gitmo detainee who are qualified to be the next Afgan president.
earl @ 4:
Let us consult with the ancient text to find knowledge of such bravery.
It could get really sticky when the UN mandate ends. We think that, in order to get elected, the Repubs will actually withdraw some troops right before the election. If, of course, we actually have an election. I still think that this years’ October Surprise is some event that will effectively call it off. –MaryK
“Does the John McCain of 2008 agree with this assessment?” Sounds like the kind of question an enterprising political reporter might pose to the Republican candidate.
Very funny. Of course McCain should be asked this, but you can’t expect the press to ask him this because it’s too OBVIOUS. They would rather ask him if he prefers hot dogs or hamburgers on the 4th of July. That kind of insightful question shows more of what his character is about just like when the press said Bush was the person you would rather have a beer with.
Very, very insightful stuff. Silly non press people don’t know what it is they actually do.
No. 44 @ 5:
Too late now, a very large portion of the country’s economy depends on military and warfare.
http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC20/Chapman.htm
The majority of Americans want the troops out of Iraq.
The majority of Iraqis want the troops out of Iraq.
The majority of THE REST OF THE WORLD want the troops out of Iraq.
Why is this not a no-brainer for anyone inside the beltway?
I’m sure someone’s going to ask Grampy this kind of question.
When pigs fly.
Of course, he left himself a back door out of it (a “good” politician always does). You’ll notice he said “If it is an extremist government, then we’ll have other challenges to face”. In other words, he will simply state that the Makili government is extremist, probably tie it to Iran and then declare that they will stay there until their government is no longer “extremist” (read: until their government is of OUR choosing).
I see a problem here. MsBush is flip flopping every day but the media has been on the Obama trail about Obama’s change of stance on issues. I think that Obama’s people have got to get on the stick concerning McShame’s flip flops. If the MSM don’t start reporting all his flip flops then Obama has to run an ad. One flip flop after another. Run the ads over and over again. Get the retards out in middle America talking about it. Make them bitter about McGramp’s flip flopping lying.
marykmusic @ 10:
Gotta say I’m with MaryK on that one. They’ll either hijack the election like the last time or declare martial law after allowing another terrist attack. Can’t have Dickie and Georgie face the music or anything like that.
McPOW is also talking up his worthless Vietnam record. Let’s show how much a shitty military record counts. Let’s show a picture of McPOW along with a photo of his BBF (Best Friend Forever) Bush in Bush’s National Guard getup. This would show Joe Sixpack and Betty Winebox what military experience has got us in the last 7 years.
The answer my friends is to Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran then just shift the troops over a few 100 miles and there you go , do your best to stretch the oil war out to a 100 or so years. And the best part is we get out of Iraq which everybody said they wanted , Right ?
I don’t know what McCain would say now. It’ll probably be the same answer he gave a lady at a town hall meeting the other day when she asked him what he would do about social security. He said he would reach across the aisle and he would fix it.
How’s that for details?
I’m guessing McCain will say he will wait to hear from General Petraeus. Whatever he says he will begin his comment by saying, It’s time for a little straight talk here, my friends. And he will end it by repeating his final sentence twice.
If anybody has a few minutes, this is a great article on the Military Economy,
but really cleacut and easy to grasp.
heres one quote:
“By 1990 the value of the weapons, equipment and factories devoted to the Department of Defense was 83% of the value of all plants and equipment in US manufacturing. From 1947 to 1990, the combined US military budgets amounted to $8.7 trillion. Even though the Soviet Union no longer exists, US reliance on military Keynesianism has, if anything, ratcheted up, thanks to the massive vested interests that have become entrenched around the military establishment. Over time, a commitment to both guns and butter has proven an unstable configuration. Military industries crowd out the civilian economy and lead to severe economic weaknesses. Devotion to military Keynesianism is a form of slow economic suicide.”
http://mondediplo.com/2008/02/05military
Captain Obama’s Bitter Half Husein Kangaroo @ 18:
Don’t forget his U.S.S. Forrestal involvement, because it’s generally accepted that he caused that disaster (140+ Navy men killed) by wet-starting his fighter which caused the flame to hit the underside of the jet behind him… It was recently passed on to me that a former aircraft mechanic on the ship McScrewup was IMMEDIATELY evacuated to (the only non-injured evacuee) remembers that his aircraft was sabotaged and that’s the REAL reason it went down over N.Vietnam. It was a getback that wasn’t quite successful.
It is high time we take back this nation. When gw and that DICK gave orders to invade and destroy Iraq, they NEVER intended to leave… EVER. I for one am sick and tired to living under the same flag as these killers. It is either US or THEM, and frankly, I am not feeling up to relocating. NO MORE WARMONGERS!
How about:
but, but, but . . the surge is working !
or
they’re just not in touch with ‘conditions on the ground’.
or
it’s definitely in the best interest of the United States to remain in Iraq for as long as we can keep borrowing money to finance it.
tjb @ 19:
After Iran did their missile testing, you are probably closer to being right than you want to be.
Spin, lie and deny.
Its all republicans can do.
It doesn’t matter what he says or does at this point. The media doesn’t report it, and the Democrats aren’t hitting him hard on it. He has said so many ridiculous things and changed so many positions, he should be sent to a mental institution. The guy is sick. The recent joke on killing the entire Iranian population is yet another proof.
And YET, he’s treated by the general public as a “hero” and still has a reasonable chance to win. If he wins, to quote the great George Carlin, then this country is finished.
The occupation will carry on for many years to come.
Just like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will carry on for many more years to come.
Why ? :
1) There is more money to be made while the fires rage.
2) Peace is hard work.
3) War is easy. ( and very profitable )
Imperfect Solution ( Yes, I have one for ya ) :
Hand over the reins of leadership to women.
Seriously.
Mankind needs a pardigm shift right about now.
Anyone who is so intimately ( internally ) connected to the process of giving birth would have a strong reluctance to the use of deadly force as diplomacy.
Military conflict never brings about equitable outcomes.
To the “winner” go the spoils and all that.
I, for one, would welcome my new Estrogen laden Overlords.
I am preparing to submit at this very moment.
Peace.
It’ll be tough to ask that question from the back of the plane. And I don’t like sprinkles, either.
It would be very interesting to put the question to Mccain - I suspect his memory isn’t what it used to be so he’d have to be reminded of his earlier answer…
Here comes one of my stupid questions. I know they will have an election in Iraq in the fall, but I don’t know if Maliki will be up for reelection. If he is, what are the chances of him being reelected, if our government’s hands are still the mix?
More importantly what is the Pentagon saying?
Evidently the Pentagon is going to play “ref” to the Iraqis regarding if and when Iraqi “security situation” is in bounds or out of bounds. An American Army General involved with Iraqi Army “training” now claiming the Iraiqis are “not ready to do full security” anytime in “forseeable” future.
So…Iraq may be a sovereign nation and have an “elected” government but in the Pentagon that does not permit Iraqis to tell Americans to leave.
That is up to the Pentagon.
Which of course is where Bush/Cheney regime will punt on Iraqi statements about Iraq being free of Americans.
To the question of if Americans will leave Iraq if asked to do so by Iraqis one can safely conclude that is not going to happen if the Americans can do anything about it.
Americans are in Iraq not at the request or pleasure of Iraq.
Americans are in Iraq to set a long term template for oil biz and ME American militarism.
The Iraqis will have to get much more agitated to undo any of this surely enough.
Duh! I can’t believe the press is getting all worked up about this. IF it ever looked like the Iraqi’s might kick us out, it would be the PERFECT opportunity for war-defenders to say that Iraq asking us to leave MEANS its time to go and will claim we’ve won.
pissed off patricia @ 31:
In other words, has Cheney decided to put a cap in his ass ?
MCCAIN: “My dear friends, what I will do is to give prime minister Malki a tour in our ‘Straight Talk Express’ bus and then I’ll see what he says..”.
What would McOld say to the Iraqis? He would call them defeatacrats.
The majority of military family and friends want the troops out of Iraq as well, but McCranky is not prone to listen to them either, not with “surge” envy and recurring senility moments.
biff diggerence @ 34:
Well, not exactly. I was thinking more along the lines of rigged elections. They have mastered the deed here so I shouldn’t think it would be a problem to do it there.
Captain Obama’s Bitter Half Husein Kangaroo @ 18:
His Vietnam record? You mean that fact that he surrendered to the enemy and freely and willingly made propaganda tapes for the enemy? You mean THAT record?
if the democrats beat mccain in november and our new president decides 16 months is not enough time to start withdrawing any troops from iraq does that mean that its our war now and weve become the agressors? say it aint so!
swampfox @ 40:
When Obama wins in November and take over in January, the last 8 years of failures and destruction by herr dubyah will not exist. As far as the reich-wing will be concerned, we went from Clinton to Obama and any problems that happen under Obama’s watch were his fault or Clinton’s fault,
swampfox @ 40:
It’s already our war now. We are the aggressors. Future events won’t change that.
No. 44 @ 5:
Been living in a cave for the last 40 years? with the exception of 4 years of Jimmy Carter and 8 or BC, that is the American political experience.
Dr. Hussein Matt @ 39:
And the Million $$$$ jet he crashed. Did they make him pay for it like they made the Iraq veterans pay for their armor when they got shot and had to be medivac-ed out?
Dr. Hussein Matt @ 41:
oh!ok they had me worried for awhile, so we can blame our continuied agression on bill, thank god !i was afraid we couldnt come up with an alibi for keeping troops in iraq,
Captain Obama’s Bitter Half Husein Kangaroo @ 44:
Not ONE aircraft, but FIVE!
McGrampa’s military accomplishments: destroying 5 military aircraft, surrendering to the enemy, finishing 894 out 899 at the Naval Academy, and willingly filming propaganda films for the enemy.
Rinse. Rather. Repeat.
Dr. Hussein Matt @ 46:
Oh my. That can be expensive! Bitterly expensive.
A man called in to Washington Journal (c-span) this morning. He said he was a repub but wanted everyone to vote for Senator Obama so the dems would have to take the blame for the future of our country.
That’s the kind of thinking that’s out there.