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grahamhgreen

(15,741 posts)

19. That is what he already did, correct? Here:

Reply to pnwmom (Reply #17)

Tue Nov 18, 2014, 01:02 AM

Nov 2014

Funny you should ask, mom:

“I want to be clear,” Mr. Obama said to a gymnasium full of troops at MacDill Air Force Base outside Tampa, the headquarters of the military’s Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East. “The American forces that have been deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission. They will support Iraqi forces on the ground as they fight for their own country against these terrorists.

“As your commander in chief,” Mr. Obama added, “I will not commit you and the rest of our armed forces to fighting another ground war in Iraq.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/18/us/politics/obama-promises-again-not-to-send-ground-troops-to-fight-militants.html

So, as you asked, that "helps our position how"?? Why did he say that? Was he simply trying to lead the American people slowly down a path that he knew would lead to escalation and more profits for military contractors at the expense of our troops?

Or, did he have a more astute strategy by speaking those words?

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24 replies

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Highlight:

Obama: There are "circumstances in which the United States might need to deploy U.S. ground troops" [View all] grahamhgreen Nov 2014 OP

If ISIS gets a nuclear weapons if the circumstnce. Agnosticsherbet Nov 2014 #1

Note the S - circumstanceS grahamhgreen Nov 2014 #14

What those "circumstances" are = ISIS To Do List nt 99th_Monkey Nov 2014 #2

Huh. Is Occupy acting up again? nt Zorra Nov 2014 #3

speaking like this before the midterms would have gotten us more votes samsingh Nov 2014 #4

Not a surprise, but the fact that advisers continue to recommend using talking points rather than Mass Nov 2014 #5

I think it falls under the idea that Quackers Nov 2014 #24

This quote R.Quinn Nov 2014 #6

Is he telegraphing/foreshadowing something? CJCRANE Nov 2014 #7

Of course he's telegraphing. This is the soft sell for perpetual war. grahamhgreen Nov 2014 #8

He probably thinks that is a logical statement but it will raise hopes (from the right) and fears pampango Nov 2014 #9

"No boots on the ground in Iraq" dixiegrrrrl Nov 2014 #10

Ah, yellow cake.... and "We can't let the smoking gun be a mushroom cloud". Same tricks, different grahamhgreen Nov 2014 #16

Ok, let's play, ISIL has a nuke, if you know where it is you send a cruise missile, if not, you send grahamhgreen Nov 2014 #12

Saying he will NEVER send ground troops no matter what send the wrong message to IS. pnwmom Nov 2014 #18

I hear Dubya is free! City Lights Nov 2014 #11

Go, go Mighty, Morphing Warmongers! TheKentuckian Nov 2014 #13

Yuck. We need to stay out of the Middle East. bigwillq Nov 2014 #15

Is he supposed to guarantee to IS that he will never send ground troops to Iraq no matter what? pnwmom Nov 2014 #17

That is what he already did, correct? Here: grahamhgreen Nov 2014 #19

Then I think that was a mistake. It doesn't help to show our hand. pnwmom Nov 2014 #20

I agree. grahamhgreen Nov 2014 #22

Here it comes, woo me with science Nov 2014 #21

"We can't afford the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud" is essentially his argument, much grahamhgreen Nov 2014 #23