Iraq: Awaiting the McCain-Palin Reponse

The future of America’s place in Iraq has yet to be decided. And it’s the very question of that uncertainty that still has voters wondering the political parties plan on doing about it. On Thursday Barack Obama sat down with Bill O’Reilly of Fox News. On the topic of the Surge in Iraq, O’Reilly asked the senator, “Why can't you say, "I was right in the beginning, and I was wrong about the surge"? “Because there's an underlying problem where what have we done. We have reduced the violence. But the Iraqis still haven't taken responsibility, and we still don't have the kind of political reconciliation,” said Sen. Obama.

Now this morning on ABC News’ This Week, Sen. Obama had this to say in the recently taped interview. “…John McCain insists on continuing to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

…Well Prime Minister Maliki has said that, “we are ready to take control and responsibility for what’s happening in Iraq”. And John McCain seems resistant even at a time when George Bush is prepared to say that we need to have some sort of timeframe or timetable.”

Despite the confusion in both of Sen. Obama’s statements as to whether or not the Iraqi government is ready to take control, President Bush has stated he is considering a timetable of the withdrawal of U.S. forces in Iraq.

In November of 2005, President Bush said that Iraqi troops were increasingly taking the lead in battle but that "this will take time and patience." However, the president refused again to set a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal, saying conditions in Iraq will dictate when American forces can come home. He said setting a deadline to pull out is "not a plan for victory."

Considering the mere thought of a pull out by 2011 would go against the very opposing position the president had to such action over the past few years. The president’s hesitance on such an issue was partly due to not wanting al-Qaida or the Taliban to wait the American forces out- which makes sense.

On Sept. 1, The New York Times said, “Mr. McCain told veterans on Aug. 11 that he would end the war, but intended to “win it first” and assured them that “victory in Iraq is finally in sight.” He needs to explain what he means by victory. A free and democratic Iraq, as Mr. Bush originally promised? That would take generations. …Iraq’s leaders have at least agreed on one thing: they want the Americans gone, sooner rather than later.

This morning on Meet the Press, Democratic nominee for Vice-President Joe Biden said, “We're about to get a deal from the president of the United States and Maliki, the head of the Iraqi government, that's going to land on my desk as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee saying we're going to set a timeline to draw down our forces. The only guy in America out of step is John McCain. John McCain's saying no timeline. They've signed on to Barack Obama's proposal (not the exact plan he would add).” Tom Brokaw than asked, “Five years from now, do you think Iraq will have relative stability and democratic principles in a central government? Sen. Biden replied saying, “If there is an Obama-Biden administration, yeah. …And by the way, that Biden proposal, 75 senators voted for it, including the majority of the Republican Party.” “But the Iraqi government didn't like the idea,” said Brokaw. Replied Biden, “Well, the Iraqi government--Maliki didn't, but the rest of the government liked it.” “But he is the head of the government. It's their country,” replied Brokaw.

And so the Obama-Biden campaign, along with Americans, are awaiting the McCain-Palin response.