Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

McCain, Graham blast Obama for Al Qaeda-related takeover of Fallujah, call situation 'predictable'
Fox News.com ^ | January 4, 2013

Posted on 01/04/2014 6:05:49 PM PST by Kaslin

Republican senators on Saturday blamed the Obama administration for Al Qaeda affiliates over-running parts of Iraq, including the city of Fallujah, which the United States secured before President Obama removed all U.S. forces from that country in 2011.

Sen. John McCain, Arizona, and Lindsey Graham, South Carolina, called the recent turn of events “as tragic as they were predictable” and suggested Obama misled Americans into believing that Iraqi leaders wanted U.S. forces out of their country.

“While many Iraqis are responsible for this strategic disaster, the administration cannot escape its share of the blame,” the senators said in a joint statement. “When President Obama withdrew all U.S. forces … over the objections of our military leaders and commanders on the ground, many of us predicted that the vacuum would be filled by America's enemies and would emerge as a threat to U.S. national security interests. Sadly, that reality is now clearer than ever.”

The Al Qaeda-affiliated fighters took over Fallujah on Friday after a bloody three-day battle, raising their flag over government buildings as a sign of victory, according to The Washington Post.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: alqaeda; alqaedairaq; anbarprovince; fallujah; graham; iran; iraq; mccain; ramadi; waronterror
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-112 last
To: expat1000; Kaslin; cripplecreek; TomasUSMC; nathanbedford
It was predictable as soon as Dubya said “They are just like us”

On 9/13/01, I made a prediction, right here on FR. I think, twelve-plus years later, that I was pretty close to the truth.

We cannot get back on track until we face the truth about the twin disasters in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What was called for when Bush faced the Congress on 9/16/01 was WAR. It was necessary to conquer the twin authors of 9/11, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and to uproot their wicked system of religious government. If Bush had called for an army of 80 divisions with the requisite air and sea support, the war would have been over in 1-2 years and the reconstruction and reeducation phase would be well underway by now.

But Bush, and Rice, and Rumsfeld, and Perle, and Wolfowitz chose half-war, or quarter-war, and by failing to follow first principles brought about multiple disasters, not the least of which were the elections of 2006 and 2008.

I live in New Hampshire, and although I did not vote for Democrats in 2006 and I did not vote for Obama in 2008, I understand why my neighbors who were disgusted with Bush and his posse did.

The opposite of "victory" is not "schools for girls", the opposite of victory is defeat, surrender, and catastrophe, all of which we have now, and all of which, including having "Obama" in the White House, are the fault of bad decisions made in September and October of 2001.

101 posted on 01/06/2014 5:57:47 AM PST by Jim Noble (When strong, avoid them. Attack their weaknesses. Emerge to their surprise.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Candor7

I remember those blue stained fingers also, and I wished we would have them here also, this way the rats would be unable to steal elections. I also wished they would do away with voting by mail like they do in some states, and if someone has not registered prior to one month before the election, tough luck. Absolutely no same day registration


102 posted on 01/06/2014 6:05:55 AM PST by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 100 | View Replies]

To: Jim Noble

Its a continuous train of bad decisions going back decades to when we decided that winning a war wasn’t the ultimate goal in going to war.

I’ll blame Obama for messes he’s created or stirred in the mideast like Libya, Syria, and Egypt but there are plenty of problems in the mideast that are entirely their own fault for being backward animals.


103 posted on 01/06/2014 6:27:19 AM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 101 | View Replies]

To: cripplecreek
It's a continuous train of bad decisions going back decades,,,

I blame Walt Disney.


104 posted on 01/06/2014 6:34:16 AM PST by Jim Noble (When strong, avoid them. Attack their weaknesses. Emerge to their surprise.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 103 | View Replies]

To: what's up

Bit of a difference between the current crop of Arab crazies and the Japanese following WW2.


105 posted on 01/06/2014 11:22:09 AM PST by paristexas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: paristexas
Not as far as occupation.

The principle remains that if the US keeps a presence, the enemy remains more subdued. Easy concept.

106 posted on 01/06/2014 11:23:50 AM PST by what's up
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 105 | View Replies]

To: strider44

I think you nailed it. No one wants to argue with you.


107 posted on 01/06/2014 11:30:51 AM PST by paristexas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 80 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Same people.


108 posted on 01/06/2014 4:29:00 PM PST by The Toll
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 90 | View Replies]

To: pieceofthepuzzle
If I remember right, there was as much deception beginning the first Iraq war, as there was for the second one. When you look at the situation in historical context, you can see that the precious piece of real estate called Kuwait was originally Iraq. Somewhere I read that Bush family drilled the first oil well there.
109 posted on 01/06/2014 7:08:23 PM PST by TiaS
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 92 | View Replies]

To: what's up

The Japanese were united as a people; the Iraqis are not. The Japanese government surrendered on behalf of the Japanese people, and the people respected that surrender. There was no similar surrender in Iraq.


110 posted on 01/06/2014 10:52:08 PM PST by paristexas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 106 | View Replies]

To: TiaS
“When you look at the situation in historical context, you can see that the precious piece of real estate called Kuwait was originally Iraq.”

Actually, the history of Kuwait is quite complex, including being held by the Portugese at one point, and the British. It is not a long-term traditional ‘piece’ of Iraq. As you know, the history of that entire region is quite complex, with the formation of the Kingdom of Iraq first in 1932, and then the Republic of Iraq in 1958.

The bottom line is that at the time Hussein invaded Kuwait it was a rich and progressive independent Middle Eastern country, that also supplied a very significant portion of the worlds oil. Taking Kuwait would have also put Hussein in a position to threaten/challenge Saudi Arabia, and thus control even more of the world's oil. It was an aggressive move by an aggressor.

There were plenty of Western (and Russian/Soviet) mistakes in this region that contributed to the instability we have today, but to blame it on Bush because he may or may not have had something to do with an oil well in a region that has immense amounts of oil is giving him way too much credit for power and influence.

I stand by what I alluded to in my previous post - Obama’s policies have destabilized the region. I see Obama as an extreme ideologue without sufficient ethical boundaries, and untempered by pragmatism. The other side of that equation are those politicians who are purely non-visionary pragmatists looking for quick solutions and untempered by core principles. Both types are not in the US’ or the world's best interest.

111 posted on 01/07/2014 4:00:59 AM PST by pieceofthepuzzle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 109 | View Replies]

To: expat1000

EXACTLEEEE

When Bush got up and said ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF PEACE....it was like Roosevelt saying Nazis are a political party of peace and Tojo is just a politicalican of peace.

We had better learn the lesson of Fallujah. and Iraq. and Afghanistan.

fight like WW2 and win.....or lose.


112 posted on 01/12/2014 10:15:24 AM PST by TomasUSMC (FIGHT LIKE WW2, WIN LIKE WW2. FIGHT LIKE NAM, FINISH LIKE NAM.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-112 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson