National Stats during Obama Admin

[Dill]

(01-18-2017, 01:53 PM)Mike M (the other one) Wrote: So what if it was negotiated during the Bush Administration? Does Obama not have the power to renegotiate new terms as he sees fit and put the pressure on the new Iraqi government to keep the troops there until we feel that they have the situation under control??  We are the occupier, we are the ones that should decide when the New Government is ready to handle themselves, not them.

Two points on this:

1. Obama doesn't exactly have the power to renegotiate "as he sees fit" when Bush has already committed the US to a withdrawal timetable, and at the time about 90% of the public wants the withdrawal to occur, and the most pressing threat to the Iraqi government was internal--the Shia dominance of the government and military.   

2. As occupiers who claim occupation is not their goal, the US cannot really behave like conquerors and looters. Also, if the new government is to have some legitimacy, it cannot be seen as a US puppet. That means it must appear to be able to decide for itself when it is ready to handle itself.