It’s been more than five
years since the United States
invaded Iraq in March, 2003.
After half-a-decade of warfare,
a majority of Americans
now feel that we made the
wrong choice going to Iraq
and it’s time to pull out. This
issue has faded a bit in the
minds of voters due to the
economic crisis, but it’s still
right up there at the top of the
list of important issues.
Just as important to the
safety of our country is the
situation in Iran. The possibility
of Iran developing nuclear
weapons not only affects us,
but it affects the entire
Middle East and Israel.
More than 4,100
U.S. soldiers have
been killed in
Iraq since the
war began. But,
that hasn’t
deterred John
McCain from
being completely
adamant about staying
in Iraq for the long
haul. McCain voted in 2002
for the use of military force in
Iraq. He has said that it doesn’t
matter how long troops
are in Iraq, and that they
could be there for over 100
years, as long as there is no
violence. In fact, McCain was
one of the earliest proponents
of the surge method that has
stemmed the violence in Iraq.
McCain has said many
times that withdrawing
troops before the job is finished
would be considered
a failure. During a
speech in May,
McCain predicted
the state of the
world after his
first term. “By
January 2013,
America has
w e l c o m e d
home most of
the servicemen
and
women who
have sacrificed
terribly so that
America might be
secure in her freedom.
The Iraq
war has been
won. Iraq is a
f u n c t i o n i n g
D e m o c r a c y ,
although still
suffering from
the lingering
effects of decades
of tyranny and centuries
of sectarian tension.
Violence still occurs,
but it is spasmodic and much
reduced.”
Sen. Barack Obama has
always been against the war.
In 2002, he made a statement
against the invasion. “I know
that invasion of Iraq without
a clear rationale and without
strong international support
will only fan the flames of the
Middle East and encourage
the worst rather than best
impulses in the Arab world
and strengthen the recruitment
arm of al Qaeda. I am
not opposed to all wars; I am
opposed to dumb wars.”
Obama’s plan for withdrawal
is not, in fact, a sign of
defeat. He would redeploy
U.S. troops at a pace of one to
two brigades a month with
the possibility of sending
them to Afghanistan or
Pakistan. He would maintain
a residual force in Iraq to perform
specific missions like
targeting al Qaeda, protecting
U.S. service members and
diplomats, and supporting
the Iraqi security force.
The candidates’ stances on
Iraq couldn’t be farther apart.
McCain wants to stay until
the job is finished;
Obama wants to complete
the War on
Terror.
Iran says it is
enriching uranium
as part of a
b u r g e o n i n g
nuclear energy
p r o g r a m ,
while the U.S.
and other
countries have
called on
Tehran to halt
the enrichment
program, which
could also be
used to build
centrifuges for
nuclear bombs.
Both McCain
and Obama did
not vote in a
2007 senate resolution
to declare
the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard
as a terrorist organization.
McCain has said that military
action is an option
against Iran, but he would
consult with congressional
leaders before taking action.
At a 2007 campaign appearance
in South Carolina,
McCain joked about bombing
Iran. Upon being asked about
a possible military invasion
of Iran, McCain responded
with a joke. “That old, eh, that
old Beach Boys song, Bomb
Iran,” which elicited laughter
from the crowd. McCain
then chuckled before briefly
singing – to the tune of the
chorus of the Beach Boys’
classic “Barbara Ann” –
“Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb,
anyway, ah ….”
Obama believes that diplomacy
is the best first course of
action. He has said that he
would meet with leaders of
nations such as Iran, Syria,
Venezuela, Cuba and North
Korea during his first year of
the presidency. He has said
that a military option is on
the table, but it is indeed the
last option.
As of now, the economy
is on the front
page of this campaign,
but it
won’t take much
for foreign policy
and the war to
retake the attention
of America.
Once the polls have
closed and the election
is over, our next president
will have his hands full with
two wars and perhaps more
conflict on the horizon.
Obama and McCain’s views
on these foreign policy issues
couldn’t be any more contrasting,
and it’s up to the
voters now to decide what
course of action our nation
takes.