Don't credit Obama for Iraq withdrawal

Obama just took full credit for our success in Iraq and announced that we will cease combat operations in Iraq and draw down our soldiers there to 50,000 by Aug. 31 just as he promised. Gosh, that sounds pretty impressive. Unless you knew the truth! The truth is that if Obama had his way in Iraq, we would have withdrawn from Iraq in defeat in 2008 since Obama was against the surge, General Petraeus and his strategy. How is Obama able to declare victory in Iraq now? Because President Bush implemented General Petraeus' successful surge strategy despite intense resistance from Obama and the Democrats. With the success of the surge, President Bush then negotiated a withdrawal agreement with the government of Iraq in 2008. Bush agreed to stop American combat operations on Aug. 31, 2010, and to reduce American forces there to 50,000 at that same time. Who deserves credit for our success today? Maybe if Obama had the courage and decency to admit he was wrong about the surge and give some credit to Bush's leadership like an honorable man would do, we could celebrate with Obama and give him some credit for victory. After all Obama had the common sense and wisdom to follow President Bush's plan to the letter once he took office. But instead, Obama tries to pretend that success in Iraq is solely due to him, gives no credit to President Bush and the lame-stream media is a willing co-conspirator in his fraud. There is simply no honor in this dishonesty and thus Obama can claim no credit for what is really President Bush's victory in Iraq.

Randy Rossi

Grayslake