Barack Obama, Iraq, Support our troops

Victory in Iraq; the greatest shame of last night’s SOTU

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President Barack Obama on Iraq, last night during his State of the Union Address:

“As we take the fight to al Qaeda, we are responsibly leaving Iraq to its people. As a candidate, I promised that I would end this war, and that is what I am doing as President. We will have all of our combat troops out of Iraq by the end of this August. We will support the Iraqi government as they hold elections, and continue to partner with the Iraqi people to promote regional peace and prosperity. But make no mistake: this war is ending, and all of our troops are coming home.”

Was that a loss, win or tie? If someone won, which side, and who and what made victory possible?

America won, our coalition won, and the people of Iraq won. Together, we won by force of arms and staying the course, despite the mistakes made — as they are always made — in the fog of war, growing political opposition at home, and enemy opposition on the battlefield.

More specifically, our troops won with courage beyond description, sacrifice, blood, tears, and honor — always honor.

Yet they did not fight or pay the price alone. Their families, the troops of many nations, and thousands of federal and contracted personnel stood with them, fought along their sides, or supported them near and from afar. And the Iraqi people won because America stood with them through years of chaos, helped them to establish a government, worked with multiple factions despite civil war, and trained an army and police forces that could stand on their own, defend in place, and keep peace on Iraqi streets.

Obama has to date thanked exactly no one.

Last night, he thanked not one U.S. or coalition fallen hero, wounded troop, intelligence agent, government official, family member, ally, or Iraqi. Stunning is too small a word to describe that omission. “This war is ending.” No, Mr. Obama, we ended it with our victory; you are just now the guy in charge of a homecoming victory parade you will never conduct.

Obama did not lead the fight in Iraq, fight there or sacrifice himself, or acknowledge those who led, fought, and sacrificed. Our troops and that leadership were owed at least this President acknowledging another honorable chapter in American history written in blood.

Shame on you President Obama, shame on you.

Update: President Obama needs to be introduced to the American soldier by General Douglas MacArthur:

And what sort of soldiers are those you are to lead? Are they reliable? Are they brave? Are they capable of victory?

Their story is known to all of you. It is the story of the American man at arms. My estimate of him was formed on the battlefields many, many years ago, and has never changed. I regarded him then, as I regard him now, as one of the world’s noblest figures; not only as one of the finest military characters, but also as one of the most stainless.

His name and fame are the birthright of every American citizen. In his youth and strength, his love and loyalty, he gave all that mortality can give. He needs no eulogy from me, or from any other man. He has written his own history and written it in red on his enemy’s breast.

9/11, Abdulmutallab, Barack Obama, Eric Holder, Flight 253, Gitmo, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Military Commissions

AG Eric Holder ‘not scared’ what KSM might say yet dodges reporter’s questions on 9/11 trial (Update: Bloomberg sings)

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Attorney General Eric Holder dodged a reporter’s questions yesterday about the 9/11 trials by sending security to block a clearly marked Fox News crew from approaching him. While Mr. Holder testified on November 18, 2009 that he was, “not scared of what Khalid Sheikh Mohammed might say at trial,” he has noticeably avoided tough questions since that day.

One might ask Mr. Holder if he is considering moving the 9/11 trial out of New York City and back to a Military Commissions. Many want to know who at the DOJ sent in the clean team with instructions to read Miranda warnings to Abdulmuttalab on Christmas Day, whereupon the Flight 253 bomber went silent and the gathering of intelligence ended. In addition, is there a Plan B for closing Gitmo if Congress does not lift the restrictions on moving those there to the United States for detention purposes?

On a related note, the advisory community board that encompasses the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan where the 9/11 trials would take place voted last night to ask the Obama administration to consider moving them elsewhere. [Added note: The New York Post reports that the board’s vote was unanimous, 42 to 0.] One resident had a pointed question that the Attorney General should also answer:

“In what communities in the United States of America are children required to walk by military conveys and snipers on a daily basis on their way to school?”

You can run, Mr. Holder, but you can not hide from the American people forever your views and plans on national security.

Update: New York City Mayor Bloomberg joins the chorus asking the trials to be moved. (Most are suggesting they be held on a military installation. Great idea! How about at Gitmo, using the military commissions Congress modified last year and President Obama signed into law?)