lolgaxe wrote:
gbaji wrote:
The reality? Everyone knew that the Iraqi government actually was weak and couldn't maintain control of their own country without help. Bush got this.
He got it so well, in reality, that he spearheaded the negotiation to return control of the country.
Um... The negotiation was to retain troops in Iraq. The alternative was being booted out "now". The SOFA was protested by anti-US factions in Iraq because it allowed US troops to remain in the country. You could at least try to show some understanding of the issue. Once the Iraq government was established, the US had no remaining legal authority to operate in the country without the Iraqi government's approval. The SOFA was that approval. It's worded as a withdrawal date, because that's how it had to be worded, but the actual withdrawal date was always intended to be extended as needed.
Every reasonably savvy person saw this as the face saving measure that it was. Well, except Obama. Although I suppose it's possible that he did know, but choose to ignore it because he just didn't care about consequences in the region if it meant bending to the anti-war folks here at home. In either case, the fault for what is going on in Iraq right now is 100% Obama's.
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The flaw in your argument is that, for whatever reason, the "reality" you're using in your arguments isn't this dimension.
That's some serious projection you got going on there.