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WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 /Standard Newswire/ -- Today, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs appeared on several morning news shows claiming that President Obama always said that adding a surge of additional troops to Iraq would improve the security situation there. On NBC's "The Today Show," Gibbs said, "What is certainly not up for question is that President Obama, then-candidate Obama, said that adding those 20,000 troops into Iraq would, indeed, improve the security situation, and it did." But in truth, then-candidate Obama said quite the opposite.
At the time the surge was announced, then-Sen. Obama said, "I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq is going to solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse." Even after the new strategy had been implemented and was beginning to improve the security situation, then-Sen. Obama declared that "the surge has not worked." (NBC's "The Today Show," 7/18/07) More than a year later, in the face of undeniable proof that the surge had increased security in Iraq, then-Sen. Obama finally conceded that "the surge succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated."
Gibbs also sought to give credit for progress in Iraq to the political progress that was made, ignoring the fact that the troop surge and security gains that resulted gave the Iraqi leaders more time to make the political progress he cites. This was the essence of the strategy that General Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker put in place -- a strategy that then-Senator Obama opposed.
As the President prepares to tout the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq this evening, it is imperative that the White House focus its attention on crediting the troops for all that they have done to achieve progress in Iraq. Today is not a day to try and re-write history, but rather to reflect honestly and thoughtfully on the courage and commitment our troops demonstrated during the most difficult days in Iraq - despite the skepticism they faced from those who opposed the strategy they were sent to carry out.
Last week, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) released a video thanking our troops and their families for their service and their sacrifice:
As our brave troops continue their missions in both Iraq and Afghanistan, we extend to them our profound gratitude and assure them of our unwavering support.
