[Marxism] Decoding Obama on Iraq

[Dbachmozart@xxxxxxx]

Decoding Obama on Iraq
July 22, 2008 
 
On July 14, the New York Times featured an op-ed by Barack Obama  laying out 
his _"plan for  Iraq."_ 
(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/opinion/14obama.html)  But Obama's position 
on Iraq is carefully crafted to sound antiwar,  while 
providing a vehicle for the U.S. to pursue a different strategy in the  
Middle East. 
SocialistWorker.org columnist Anthony Arnove,  author of _Iraq:  The Logic of 
Withdrawal_ 
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http://www.amazon.com/Iraq-Withdrawal-American-Empire-Project/dp/0805082727/sr=1-2/qid=
1169579666?ie=UTF8&s=books&tag=socialistwork-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=17) , 
examines Obama's proposal, point by point, to  see what the Democratic 
presidential 
candidate is really saying.
 
My Plan for Iraq
By Barack Obama 
The call by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki for a  timetable for the 
removal of American troops from Iraq presents an enormous  opportunity. We 
should 
seize this moment to begin the phased  redeployment of combat troops that I 
have long advocated, and that is  needed for long-term success in Iraq and the 
security interests  of the United States. 
Obama is not proposing a withdrawal plan but a limited, phased redeployment  
plan. That is, he is not for a complete withdrawal, let alone an immediate and 
 unconditional one. 
The term redeployment also makes clear that the troops will be moved, whether 
 to Afghanistan, where _Obama  proposes to send at least 10,000 more troops_ 
(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/us/politics/14campaign.html?scp=5&sq=obama%2
0afghanistan%2010,000&st=cse) , or "over the horizon" in the  Middle East, 
but still within "striking distance" of Iraq--namely Qatar, Kuwait,  Turkey, 
Azerbaijan, Djibouti or on aircraft carriers stationed in the Gulf. 
That Obama still talks about success in Iraq is truly remarkable and reveals  
how narrow the spectrum of debate is between Democrats and Republican. McCain 
 and Obama both would only end the occupation if they are able to declare a  
victory for the United States. 
full article -- 
_http://socialistworker.org/2008/07/22/decoding-obama-on-iraq_ 
(http://socialistworker.org/2008/07/22/decoding-obama-on-iraq)  




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