PINKtank

Iraq Withdrawal? Don’t Believe Obama’s Hype

If you're feeling skeptical after hearing President Obama's latest speech on the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, you're not alone. It's hard to know what to make of a President and an administration that brings over 90,000 troops homewhile ordering 50,000 soldiers along with 75,000 military contractors to remain. There are still some 150,000 personnel in Iraq and the US is supposed to be completely out of the country by 2011. That's next year. Bringing home thousands by the end of this August is a good step, but we really need to step on it. Unfortunately, the State Department is dragging its heels as much as the Pentagon and wants to hire 6,000 - 7,000 more staff and train them like soldiers. While working under the auspices of the State Department, these new personnel would have the status of “diplomats.” But who ever heard of a diplomat trained like a soldier and armed with a gun?

A “Twittergasm” against war. Yes, please!

Alexander Cockburn’s “Twittergasms” piece today in the Nation slams much of the anti-war movement through the lens of Twitter — including CODEPINK — for failing to rally the world against Obama’s failed promises, war in Afghanistan, growing war in Pakistan, and still-not-over war in Iraq, and for joining in the conversation around the current civil [...]