President Obama: NO military action in Iraq in the absence of political plan [View all]

[bigtree]

Last edited Fri Jun 13, 2014, 02:08 PM - Edit history (2)

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NYT:

Mr. Obama, in a televised statement before he departed for a trip to North Dakota and California, emphasized that the problem was not just a short-term threat to the Iraqi government but also a long-term failure by Baghdad leaders to achieve political reconciliation across sectarian lines. He warned Iraqi leaders that if they want American help, they have to come up with a plan to accommodate minority factions in a meaningful way.

“The United States is not simply going to involve itself in a military action in the absence of a political plan by the Iraqis that gives us some assurance that they’re going to work together,” he said. “We’re not going to allow ourselves to be dragged back into a situation where when we’re there we’re keeping a lid on things”


guardian:

Obama finished his speech by calling Iraqi leaders to come together to fight Isis and build a stable country, saying "We're not going to be able to do it for them."

"We're not going to be able to do it for them … Various military actions by the United States, by any outside nation are not going to solve those problems in the long-term … or provide stability that we need."

"Look, the US has poured a lot of money into these Iraqi security forces … the fact that they're not willing to stand and fight and man their posts … indicates that there's a problem with morale, there's a problem in terms of commitment, and ultimately that's rooted in the political problems that have plagued the country for a very long time."


Bloomberg:

“This is not solely, or even primarily, a military challenge,” Obama said at the White House. “We’re not going to allow ourselves to be dragged back into a situation” of trying to keep a lid on unrest and have Iraqi leaders undermine chances for an accommodation with foes."

The U.S. won’t be able to prop up a government that can’t unify the country, which has seen its army unwilling to confront the Sunni extremists who are waging a battle against the Shiite leadership in Baghdad, Obama said.

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This statement means that the WH needs to explain how any military action, overt or in the form of military assistance to Iraqis, will further or help those political aims that he outlined in his remarks today.

“The United States is not simply going to involve itself in a military action in the absence of a political plan by the Iraqis that gives us some assurance that they’re going to work together.”

That may be a thin reed for opponents of military strikes, but it's one that we should hold onto tightly and not let go.