7/22/08

I was up early and watched an interview with Obama after his tour of Iraq. Obama was asked if he regretted his opposition to the surge since it apparently has worked quite well.

He stood by his original vote, and credited the success not to the surge but to the change in the Sunni participation in the government and the surrender of the Shiite militia, which he admittedly did not foresee.

Does he seriously believe that the change in both the Sunni and Shiite postures was not directly related to the military commitment of the surge? Did they just miraculously change their minds and fight the insurgents and support the government process, just coincidentally at the time of the surge?

Furthermore does Obama believe that Malaki would be so quick to agree in some fashion to a withdrawal of US forces if the surge had not been executed and been successful? Would Obama have even visited Iraq without the surge he opposed?

The ultimate irony is that Obama is able to score political points because he was wrong. The success of the surge which he opposed has paved the way for the withdrawal that has been a center piece of his campaign.

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