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Obama undercuts troop withdrawal from Iraq?

Posted 15 Sep 2008 in 2008 election, Barack Obama, hypocrisy, Iraq

Obama claims he wants U.S. troops out of Iraq. But according to this story in the New York Post, his hubris has other plans. (h/t: Ace of Spades HQ)

While campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence.

According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Obama made his demand for delay a key theme of his discussions with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in July.

“He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington,” Zebari said in an interview.

Obama insisted that Congress should be involved in negotiations on the status of US troops – and that it was in the interests of both sides not to have an agreement negotiated by the Bush administration in its “state of weakness and political confusion.”
[...]
Though Obama claims the US presence is “illegal,” he suddenly remembered that Americans troops were in Iraq within the legal framework of a UN mandate. His advice was that, rather than reach an accord with the “weakened Bush administration,” Iraq should seek an extension of the UN mandate.

Does anybody else think Obama’s selfish meddling sounds like a textbook violation of the Logan Act?

The Logan Act is a United States federal law that forbids unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments. It was passed in 1799 and last amended in 1994. Violation of the Logan Act is a felony, punishable under federal law with imprisonment of up to three years.

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Recommended reading:

  • Villainous Company analyzes the pros and cons behind enforcement of the Logan Act.

  • The Minority Report looks at the charges and the likelihood of action against the overweening junior senator from Illinois.
Posted by FullMetalPatriot
12th gen. American, Constitutionalist, Harley-riding Texan, gun owner & NRA member, blogger, illustrator, Florida Gator alumnus. #TCOT

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