FDL: Obama’s Pentagon Strategy: A Leaner, More Efficient Empire

[joshcryer]

65. I disagree. He proposed it, it went through the discussions, it was denied.

It would've been irresponsible, wouldn't it, had he just said "Screw you!" to the Iraqi's? Obama was consistent on the fact that he always wanted to leave residual forces in Iraq, many people forget this. In the end Obama listened to Iraq-self-determination.

Gates wanted to renegotiate SOFA when the 2009 bombings happened, he saw an escalation in sectarian violence, and I think history shows us what happened. It never happened, Obama didn't jump on the opportunity to renegotiate as McCain would have. SOFA renegotiation was only proposed toward the end, just as a last gesture. The Iraqi's can play it as US imperialism, and liberals can play it as US imperialism, but you guys must've forgot Bush invaded that country unilaterally and didn't give a crap what the Iraqi's wanted. I see it as Obama fulfilling the "responsible" part of his pledge to "responsibly withdraw from Iraq."