Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during a surprise visit to the country of Iraq, said that as the US withdraws troops, they will continue to support Iraq, the government, and the people. She also condemned the recent increase in violent attacks in the country, which had been improving for months until this sudden surge in bombings. She dismissed the bombings as nothing more than an attempt to “derail” the great progress being made. Secretary of State Clinton echoed what the Obama administration has said by stating “At every stop, I have emphasized President Obama’s message that our strategy working with you may be in a new phase, but we pledge our full and continuing commitment to Iraq and the Iraqi people.”
Lately there has been a tremendous outpouring of criticism of President Obama’s policy on Iraq and the withdrawal of US troops, especially with the recent “evidence of failure” in the form of a rise in suicide attacks. It is just ridiculous that people view any violent action in Iraq as proof that the US needs to stay there en masse. We can continue to provide support to the Iraqi government and the people in the form of aid, training, and money. But the Iraqi Army and National Police are ready to fill the gap that will be left by US forces, and the transition process should be smooth enough that there wont be a gap at all. Our work in Iraq is just about done. Our work in Afghanistan is really just getting started.
