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

Skip to comments.

Megyn Kelly Challenges Jen Psaki Over Obama’s 2011 Iraq Troop Withdrawal
Townhall.com ^ | October 4, 2014 | Cortney O'Brien

Posted on 10/05/2014 4:30:07 AM PDT by Kaslin

State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki had the difficult task of defending President Obama’s decision to pull troops out of Iraq in 2011 – and Megyn Kelly didn’t offer her any help.

On Thursday, Kelly invited Psaki on The Kelly File to respond to former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s claim that the president’s decision to withdraw troops from Iraq was a prematurely poor action, especially considering Panetta and several generals had warned the president against such action. Panetta says as much in his new memoir.

Here was Psaki’s response to these excerpts from Panetta’s book:

“But what happened in 2011 was that there were two major factors, one was Iraq is a sovereign country. They decide with cooperation with the United States of course what kind of presence there would or wouldn't be. The second is we didn't have the troop protections that we needed. There were legal challenges there. There was a desire to have that go through the parliament. And that just wasn't going to be politically possible.”

Kelly challenged Psaki on these points, pointing out that the number of troops Obama had proposed was too meager for former Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to take seriously. Then, she got to the real issue:

"(This is) about accountability, because the President is really very focused on what we do right now about the problem in the Middle East, and that's good. But the question also has to be answered, how did we get here?"

One person who seemed to know we would reach this current crisis, was former president George W. Bush. Brian Kilmeade interviewed 43 this past week on Fox and Friends. Kilmeade played a clip of Bush from 2007, in which he accurately described the drastic consequences that could arise if we pulled troops out of Iraq too early. Despite Bush being right on target, he declined to criticize Obama for how he’s handling the situation.

Kelly had no problem taking it to Psaki, however. Watch their fiery exchange here: Kelly Files 10-2-14


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: foreignpolicy; iraq; jenpsaki; megynkelly; resident0bama
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-26 last
To: TexasCajun

What lies? You can TRY to avoid the truth, but you can’t.
Or was that satire?


21 posted on 10/05/2014 6:34:23 AM PDT by Techster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

At best the State Dept has people who will represent the best interests of the United States, even if it means lying to other nations. That is the nature of diplomacy.

At worst, the State Dept. has people who will lie to the American public about policy issues in the best interests of the Administration for political reasons.

This interview exposes the worst face of the State Dept. bureaucracy in full protection mode of the political policies of the Administration of King Obama.


22 posted on 10/05/2014 7:12:19 AM PDT by wildbill (If you check behind the shower curtain for a murderer, and find one... what's your plan?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Techster

It better was satire


23 posted on 10/05/2014 7:27:08 AM PDT 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 21 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Megyn has courage rarely found in the media. She is the sharpest thing around and a Godsend in the feckless, propagandistic world of journalists. Her intelligence and her search for truth is her weapon when she debates those who are destroying us. I never miss her show and look forward to it everyday.


24 posted on 10/05/2014 7:51:57 AM PDT by jazzlite (esat)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Obama would have looked pretty stupid leaving a force in place.

He did nothing but rail and rail against Bush for the Iraq war.

Yep, he would have looked pretty stupid..........


25 posted on 10/05/2014 10:49:51 AM PDT by eyedigress (e(!zOld storm chaser from the west)/?s)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
Not sure why, but every time I look a this picture:

I think it's from Saturday Night Live.

Is it just me or is that intentional?

26 posted on 10/05/2014 11:39:51 AM PDT by GBA (But if you're dead now, how can you live when you die?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-26 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