McCain - Barack Obama 'Refining" Iraq Position on Own Website

Today (July 15, 2008), the New York Daily News reported that Barack Obama has begun to "refine" his Iraq position by removing from his website the statements that he would "immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq" and the Surge is "The Problem" in Iraq:

Barack Obama "Refining" His Position On Withdrawal...

New Obama Website: "The Removal Of Our Troops Will Be Responsible And Phased" And Would Be Done In 16 Months. "The removal of our troops will be responsible and phased, directed by military commanders on the ground and done in consultation with the Iraqi government. Military experts believe we can safely redeploy combat brigades from Iraq at a pace of 1 to 2 brigades a month that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 more than 7 years after the war began." (Obama For America Website, http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq/, Accessed 7/15/08)

Vs.

Old Obama Website: "Obama Will Immediately Begin To Remove Our Troops From Iraq." "Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months." (Obama For America Website, Accessed 7/3/08)

· Click Here To View This Part Of The Old Website.

Barack Obama "Refining" His Position On The Surge...

This Weekend, The Obama Campaign Removed All Criticism Of The Troop Surge From His Website. "Barack Obama's campaign scrubbed his presidential Web site over the weekend to remove criticism of the U.S. troop 'surge' in Iraq, the Daily News has learned. The presumed Democratic nominee replaced his Iraq issue Web page, which had described the surge as a 'problem' that had barely reduced violence. 'The surge is not working,' Obama's old plan stated, citing a lack of Iraqi political cooperation but crediting Sunni sheiks -- not U.S. military muscle -- for quelling violence in Anbar Province." (James Gordon Meek, "Barack Obama Purges Web Site Critique Of Surge In Iraq," New York Daily News, 7/14/08)

· The New Website Cites An "Improved Security Situation." "Obama's campaign posted a new Iraq plan Sunday night, which cites an 'improved security situation' paid for with the blood of U.S. troops since the surge began in February 2007. It praises G.I.s' 'hard work, improved counterinsurgency tactics and enormous sacrifice.'" (James Gordon Meek, "Barack Obama Purges Web Site Critique Of Surge In Iraq," New York Daily News, 7/14/08)

New Obama Website: Problem Is "Inadequate Security And Political Progress In Iraq." "Inadequate Security and Political Progress in Iraq: Since the surge began, more than 1,000 American troops have died, and despite the improved security situation, the Iraqi government has not stepped forward to lead the Iraqi people and to reach the genuine political accommodation that was the stated purpose of the surge. Our troops have heroically helped reduce civilian casualties in Iraq to early 2006 levels. This is a testament to our military's hard work, improved counterinsurgency tactics, and enormous sacrifice by our troops and military families. It is also a consequence of the decision of many Sunnis to turn against al Qaeda in Iraq, and a lull in Shia militia activity. But the absence of genuine political accommodation in Iraq is a direct result of President Bush's failure to hold the Iraqi government accountable." (Obama Fo r America Website, http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq/, Accessed 7/15/08)

Vs.

Old Obama Website: The Surge Is Part Of "The Problem." "The Problem -- The Surge: The goal of the surge was to create space for Iraq's political leaders to reach an agreement to end Iraq's civil war. At great cost, our troops have helped reduce violence in some areas of Iraq, but even those reductions do not get us below the unsustainable levels of violence of mid-2006. Moreover, Iraq's political leaders have made no progress in resolving the political differences at the heart of their civil war." (Obama For America Website, Accessed 7/3/08)

· Click Here To View This Part Of The Old Website.