While visiting with family over the weekend, I was asked over and over again if I thought it was a good thing or a bad thing that we were leaving Iraq (largely) on 31 DEC.
I repeated my opinion--the same I've said here previously--that as long as we maintain a strategic relationship with Iraq, getting the troops out is a good thing. We need to be able to train, visit, share, rely on, and provide for the Iraqi people through an open and mutual friendship forged on the personal relationships that have been made over the past 7-8 years.
Nothing would make me happier than to have a regular REFORGER or Cobra Gold-type exercise with Iraq on a regular basis. That would be awesome. It would be equally great to have their officers attend our CGSC or other officer training classes.
Instead, this is the kind of senior leadership our nation has to rely on to form these relationships. Our leaders have have completely FAILED to see the importance of our relationship with Iraq. Not just from a strategic standpoint, but also from a psychological aspect.
There are hundreds of thousands of servicemembers who have spent years of personal capital in that country, and they deserve to know that the U.S. government (read: Pres and VP) are willing to do what it takes to make their efforts worthwhile.
You didn't agree with the Iraq campaign...OK, we got it. But you're the leaders! Do something grown up for a change! At least play the diplomat and do what's right for the nation, our stature amongst nations, and the Soldiers who defend the people who call themselves Americans.
Disgusting.
Come on, you are supposedly a PAO and this did not raise a red flag from the article you cited?
ReplyDelete"A listing of direct conversations provided by the embassy — drawn, the embassy said, from the White House website..."
Since when is the embassy, not a spokesman, not an employee, but the building itself a valid source? Add to that the fact the building said the apparently unclassified information was drawn from the White House website, not from some State Department database on sensitive diplomatic exchanges and one has to question the validity of the article.
I'm glad you're not my command's PAO. I'd have to waste half my day fact checking your proclamations.
I appreciate the comment...I don't mind being called out on it, but it seems to me you are more at issue with the reporter's sourcing than with me. We both know the embassy is an organization, not a building, and someone inside the organization provided the reporter with these call logs. If he doesn't want to reveal his source, that's his concern.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the Iraqi spokesman did not refute the alleged fact that Maliki has not been contacted by either the Pres or VP in about a year. The WH spokesman provides no evidence to the contrary other than to say the report is false.
What are we to think?
My main point is that we have an opportunity to establish a long-term relationship with Iraq, paid for by the blood and treasure of our nation, and it doesn't appear (based on this article) that our leaders are making minimum efforts to forge lasting relationships.
I don't know for sure...but I think that's a reasonable conclusion to draw from this.