Ex-Defense Official Says Obama Must Push For Self-Sufficient Iraq

Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Lawrence Korb told reporters Tuesday that President Obama needs to push the Iraqi people to take responsibility for the future of their government and country.

In a prelude to the president’s Tuesday night Oval Office address, Korb said he believes the American mission in Iraq is complete and the president must push for a more self-sufficient Iraqi government.

“It’s up to the Iraqis now, we’ve done what we can,” Korb said. “They’ve got to get their act together, they’ve got to have a government… and that’s really the key.”

The panel agreed that the president’s remarks regarding the transition from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn will not focus on whether the current or previous administrations should take credit for Iraq success, but recognizing and giving credit to the people of Iraq.

“This is not going to be a mission accomplished moment,” said Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. “I think in our debate, we tend to credit too much what we’ve done and not enough of what the Iraqis did.”

The president is scheduled to address the nation tonight at 8:00 p.m. from the Oval Office.


Biden: Iraqis Ready To Take Charge

Vice President Joe Biden applauded the success of the United States military in Iraq and said the people of Iraq are ready to step up to the plate and “take charge” of their country.

At a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Indianapolis Monday, the Vice-President expressed his confidence in the Iraqi people and said that political leaders must rise up and match the commitment made by the people.

“It’s time for them to match the courage of their citizens,” Biden said. “I’m absolutely confident that Iraq will form a national unity government that will be able to sustain that country.”

Despite U.S. success in Iraq, the omnipresent statement seems to echo from the mouths of all political leaders addressing the issue; the war is not over.

“Drawing down our troops does not mean disengaging from Iraq,” Biden said. “In fact, quite the opposite is true.”

Biden’s address comes just eight days before President Barack Obama plans to address the military’s official transition from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn on the last day of the month.

Operation New Dawn Marks End Of Combat Ops In Iraq

Gen. Raymond Odierno, Commanding General of U.S. Forces in Iraq, told reporters at the Pentagon Wednesday that Iraq is on the brink of acquiring the capabilities to secure and govern itself. 

Gen. Odierno said he was back in the U.S for a few days to attend a joint conference hosted by the Departments of Defense and State aimed at outlining the challenges Iraq and the U.S will face in “setting the stage for the transition from a military led to a civilian led operation in Iraq.”

Odierno said he is pleased with the progress Iraqi security forces have made in the past 4 years but admits that there are still lingering threats that must not be discounted.  Terrorist attacks in the country are at an all time low and Odierno is confident the Iraqi Police and security forces are taking steps towards securing their own country.

“[They] continue to grow and improve everyday, they’ve demonstrated they’re apolitical and loyal to the constitution during this period of transition.”

Along with the continued progress of Iraqi security forces, Odierno said the general ambience in Iraq has also taken giant strides. He mentioned that people are out and about, being social and enjoying life.

“There’s a certain sense of normalcy,” Odierno said.

In the coming weeks, Odierno said that the U.S. continues to be “on track to only have 50,000 boots on the floor by the start of Operation New Dawn beginning September 1,” officially marking the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom and future combat operations in Iraq. The general emphasized that this transitional period will not affect America’s pledge to Iraq.

“Operation New Dawn does not change the level of US commit in Iraq,” Odierno said. “It changes the nature of our commitment, one that is military dominated to a civilian led commitment.”