Blackfive: History Lesson - The Iraq Surge

Tuesday, 27 October 2009

Let's start with the most excellent Cox Forkum from January, 2007: Back at Cox Forkum, there are a few cartoons depicting the trouble over the Iraq Surge. Here at Blackfive, we collected the wisdom of the left as they staked out debate territory instead of focusing on a way forward. I thought it might remind or inform on the debate happening right now and especially on the pandering to interest groups, lobbyists, and party bases. Here's what they said about the Iraq Surge: “But right now what we have is, I think by all accounts, a disaster unfolding in Iraq. We all have a responsibility, Democrats and Republicans, Congress and the White House, to make sure that we can come up with the best strategy. I don't think the president's strategy is going to work.” - Senator Barrak Obama on the Surge on MSNBC January 23, 2007 "I think it is very difficult for the President to sustain a war of this magnitude without the support of the American people, and without the support of the Congress of the United States. That's why Congress will vote to oppose the President's escalation." - Nancy Pelosi "This whole notion that the surge is working is fantasy." - Senator Joe Biden "The reality is: Despite heroic efforts by US troops, the Bush surge is not working." - Senator (D-IL) Dick Durbin "In Iraq, his new plan is a plan for more door-to-door fighting, more civil war, more civilian casualties, more troop deaths, more wasted money, more destabilization in the region and more separation from the world community. The President wants to send more troops to Baghdad, where they will work to quell a civil war. Only a small portion - less than 20 percent - of the new effort will be spent in al Anbar, to fight al-Qaeda. Does anyone in this Administration have any sense left at all? They are sending more US troops into the middle of a civil war! "Congress needs to take a stand against the President and take the necessary steps to bring our troops home. We need to begin talks with Iran and Syria -- and not blame them for our misguided war in Iraq. Diplomacy is the only way to avoid a widening war. If we follow the President's path of war, we will get . . . more war." - Dennis Kucinich "This country needs a dramatic change of course in Iraq and it is the responsibility of this Congress to consummate that change" - Congressman John Murtha "This escalation is the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Viet Nam." - Senator Chuck Hagel "I believe ... that thisread read full story from Blackfive