Posted on 02/18/2016 6:37:53 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Surely, to all but Donald Trump's ardent supporters – which, sadly, probably is all of them – there can be no doubt, after Saturday's Republican debate, that except on the sole issue of immigration, Trump is a Democrat. Space and the need to stay on point preclude listing all of the Democratic talking points Trump parroted in South Carolina, so this essay focuses on the most egregious one – the "Bush lied, people died" libel – and on Trump's view, unfortunately shared by many Republicans, that, the Iraq war was, in Trump's words, a "big mistake" and that "we got nothing out of it."
First, as Powerline's Paul Mirengoff writes, there is no evidence that Trump opposed the Iraq pre-invasion (emphases added):
Last night, Donald Trump repeated his claim that "I'm the only one on the stage that said we should not go into Iraq." As I've pointed out before, however, there is no credible evidence that Trump said any such thing.
Trump voiced public opposition to the war for the first time… in the summer of 2004… [by which time] he was following a fairly large pack.
[O]pposing our actions in Iraq once they went pear-shaped is just Monday morning quarterbacking — a Trump specialty.
Second, the Democrats' (and Trump's, but the writer repeats himself) accusation that Bush ordered the Iraq invasion knowing that there were no WMD is flat-out false. In fact, Bush was skeptical until then-CIA director George Tenet assured Bush that, based on CIA intelligence, Saddam's possession of WMD was "a slam dunk."
As to Trump's criticism that Bush "failed to prevent 9/11" (and was therefore responsible for 9/11?), here is Tenet again (emphasis added):
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Is this the kook that has 33% of the GOP vote?
“When Pelosi first got in and was named speaker,” Trump said to Blitzer then, “I met her. And I’m very impressed by her. I think she’s a very impressive person, I like her a lot.”
“But I was surprised that she didn’t do more in terms of Bush and going after Bush,” he continued. “It just seemed like she was really going to look to impeach Bush and get him out of office. Which personally I think would have been a wonderful thing.”
Blitzer interjected: “To impeach him?”
“For the war,” Trump replied. “For the war! Well, he lied! He got us into the war with lies!”
Respectfully disagree...our military performed spectacularly. They adapted to the terrorist techniques and turned Iraq into a meat grinder for jihadists.
The premise for the war is still a matter of debate, but I will not say one negative thing about the military, its objectives or the results.
0bama on the other hand, turned it into the mess it is.
We were well on the way to that in 2008. The Iraqi security forces had turned a corner and were increasing their competence.
The Surge had taken the initiative from AQI (now called DAESH/ISIL or ISIS) and they had pulled back the bulk of their remaining force to safe havens in Syria (IIRC about 500 effectives).
Iran kept trying to make trouble, but ultimately our influence kept Malaki from giving into his worst impulses.
Once “Hope and Change” happened, everyone knew we were leaving at the end of ‘11 and bided their time until we were clear. Then the place turned to crap. If we had left a 20K residual force like the JCS had recommended, then we would not be in this mess today.
Bush I was the real idiot that left old Saddam and his oil in place. Bush II had a personal vendetta against old Saddam. I am yet to be convinced that either Bush cared much about what took place after they spilled our blood and treasury. My only point was that since Bush decided to take out Saddam, the least he should have done was take control of Iraqi oil... It should have become US oil.
How do you define success?
Because the outcome has not been successful
In fact worse than successful
Beware of praising noble motives that result in decades long quagmires
Colin Powell reportedly told bush if he broke Iraq he owned it
So true
And of course we can blame the democrats and obama for turning the war into a partisan contest that they used to advance their party, not America’s interests. Unforgivable.
But fact is.... Bush advisors should assessed the long term will of the American people to go in and do whatever it took to win and wrapped it up by 2007 to discredit the democrat hyenas
He did not
Final criticism of bush is that he coined the infamous phrase “ islam is a religion of peace”
Not only did he fail to recognize what he was really sending people to fight and die for, he refused in the name of political correctness to even state the enemy’s name
Remember when the students were protesting in Iran. There was actually a chance that democracy would replace the Islamic govt. Until Obama refused to support the democratic protestors.
Now who allows Iran to take control of the region?
The United States plans to further reduce its forces in the Persian Gulf despite another exchange of missile fire with Iraq.
snip
In the northern no-fly zone Monday, American planes attacked an Iraqi anti-aircraft battery after it attempted to shoot them down. The Pentagon denies Iraq's claim that it successfully shot down one of the planes.
Iraq had NOTHING to do with 9/11. Why didn’t W invade Saudi Arabia? why didn’t he sent troops into Pakistan, which was funding the Taliban and hiding Bin Laden? Saddam was a secular Socialist Arab dictator, one of so many others we tolerate. This was payback for Saddam alleged plot to kill Poppy Bush. And stop comparing Trump to Code Pink. CP screamed “no blood for oil!” Trump yells “take the oil!” which Bush never did.
How the HELL did FR turn into a Bush Lied & Bush’s Fault website?
Do you people recall that Obama has been in office for the last 7+ years?
And by removing Saddam, Bush did destabilize the ME.
RE: How do you define success?
Because the outcome has not been successful
_________________
we have to remind ourselves that after the surge of 2007 and the Anbar Awakening, ALL of Iraq was taken over by the Iraqi government we supported.
Obama was given a relatively peaceful Iraq in 2008 and things were relatively quiet for 3 years.
Obama decided then to PULL OUT ALL TROOPS against the advise of his generals, the CIA and even his defense secretary.
He UNDERESTIMATED the threat of terrorism and overlooked the stabilizing presence of our troops. Them he goes and makes a deal with Iran.
So, I define success as keeping the status quo between 2008 and 2011.
That success was destroyed by the next administration.
The problem is Russia trucked what was left of the old gas weapons to Syria. We did find a few in some of Iraq's bunkers that were very dangerous to move due to age. Face it, some were found but obsolete. Or what was disclosed is a lie.
That was the UN mandate
Our longer term strategic goal was to create a modern reformed western democracy that would serve as a model to other islamic majority states ruled by diktat and breeding ignorance poverty and resentment of the West that imposed those borders and supported those leaders be they kings or generals - that resentment feeding the emergence and international reach of extremists like Al Qaeda
We failed
Bush noble assumption that all men seek freedom and justice and peace being sadly naive
Isn’t going into a nation and claiming the rights to their land against what America stands for? Freedom?
RE: And by removing Saddam, Bush did destabilize the ME.
We have to remind ourselves that after the surge of 2007 and the Anbar Awakening, ALL of Iraq was taken over by the Iraqi government we supported.
Obama was given a relatively peaceful Iraq in 2008 and things were relatively quiet for 3 years.
Obama decided then to PULL OUT ALL TROOPS against the advise of his generals, the CIA and even his defense secretary.
He UNDERESTIMATED the threat of terrorism and overlooked the stabilizing presence of our troops. Them he goes and makes a deal with Iran.
So, I define success as keeping the status quo between 2008 and 2011.
That success was destroyed by the next administration.
OBAMA destabilized the Middle East.
Maybe you can go read the news and see Iraq today?
But hey we found some old mustard gas, so it was completely worth it.
RE: Isn’t going into a nation and claiming the rights to their land against what America stands for? Freedom?
Being paid for fighting for another’s freedom with the resources that they have is not taking their lands. It is COMPENSATION.
We are not taking all of their oil.... just enough to pay for our expenses.
BUSH & CO really were the most stupid bunch in memory.
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