Rusted Sky

Edwards Calls for Quick Pullout of Troops Training Iraqi Forces - New York Times

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — John Edwards says that if elected president he would withdraw the American troops who are training the Iraqi army and police as part of a broader plan to remove virtually all American forces within 10 months.

Annd what, pray tell, does he think the effect of such a withdrawl would be?

“I absolutely believe this to my soul: we are there propping up their bad behavior,” he said. “I mean really, how many American lives and how much American taxpayer money are we going to continue to expend waiting for these political leaders to do something? Because that is precisely what we are doing.”

Such a troop withdrawal, he said, might jolt Iraqi leaders into taking action to overcome their sectarian differences. During the 10 months or so while American troops were being withdrawn, Mr. Edwards added, he would also mount an intensive effort to encourage Iraq’s leaders to engage in political reconciliation and solicit the cooperation of Iran and Syria, who he argued might be more willing to help once they understood that American troops were on their way out.

Oh, I'm SURE they'd be willing to help out. Just like they already have, with explosive-packed care packages and well-vested 'splodydopes.

Basically, he's saying he'll abandon them.

You ever wonder if it's something in the water inside the Beltway? Or is he so eager to solicit the hard left vote he'd sell Iraq to Iran or Syria - whichever he thought would get him the most votes?

Throughout his campaign Mr. Edwards has spoken about the need to restore the United States’ moral standing in the world. He was asked if he believes the United States has a duty to help protect Iraqi civilians, particularly since he had voted to authorize an invasion that had unleashed a sectarian struggle for power.

“That is a very important question for the president of the United States because it is very much a judgment call,” Mr. Edwards said. “Do I believe that we have had a moral responsibility? I do. The question is, How long does that moral responsibility continue and at what juncture is it the right decision to end what we have been doing and shift that responsibility to them?”

“Let’s assume for a minute that come January 2009 we still have a significant troop presence in Iraq, which I think is likely,” Mr. Edwards added. “If that is the case, then I think another 9 to 10 months of American troop involvement and expenditure of taxpayer money with an intense effort to resolve the political conflict and intense diplomacy, then at that point America has done what it can do.”

By that thinking, we'd have abandoned (and make no bones about it - that's what his stance amounts to) both Germany and Japan about 1952. Yet we still have troops in both countries.

Mr. Edwards acknowledged that there was a risk that a speedy troop drawdown might lead to substantially increased sectarian violence. Under Mr. Edwards’s plan, the United States would keep a quick reaction force in Kuwait and perhaps Jordan to respond to terrorist threats and possible “genocide.”

Mr. Edwards has said that he would also seek to involve other allied nations in the effort. But he declined to say whether the United States would be prepared to send troops back into Iraq to stop attacks on civilians if other nations did not participate, stating the question was hypothetical.

Of COURSE it's hypothetical, you perfectly groomed fop! So how would you answer it? Never mind - it's pretty clear that's not relevant to his CURRENT needs. He's trying for a replay of 1975. Here's hoping like hell he doesn't get it.

(And again - this is from tne NYTimes. Could their usual staff be on vacation or something? The tone was darn near critical. You don't see that much...)

J.