Republicans Complain 9 Years in Iraq is Not Enough

A George W. Bush political appointee is upset that President Obama kept a campaign promise and pulled American troops out of Iraq.  Former CIA Director, Michael Hayden, complained in a CNN op-ed today that the recent violence in Iraq was entirely predictable and shrugged off by President Obama just so he could keep a promise.

But in other, similar circumstances we have found a continued military presence to be invaluable, not for continued war making but to foster local progress and regional stability. Whatever the withdrawal means in purely physical terms in Iraq, the psychic impact there and in the region is that America is less interested. In Iraq that means that each of the factions are going to their sectarian corners and are preparing to come out fighting.

As if violence in Iraq is something new.

Bombings, sectarian violence, murders, etc., have been happening since the Bush administration decided to invade in 2003. These attacks were happening even while and despite our huge military occupation of that country over an almost 9-year period.  That there is an uptick now is delusional.  It never subsided.  Ever.

Continuing our worthless war in Iraq where we have spent a trillion dollars and thousands of American lives is a Republican Dream.  But now that we are out of Iraq the continued violence there is because we left not because we stayed.  In what world is that even comprehensible??

Listen, this is very easy to understand.  Iraq is mired in violence, sectarian strife and relentless carnage because George W. Bush and his Republican administration invaded.  Had there been no invasion, there would be no need for Gen. Hayden to now try and blame Obama for Bush's huge blunder.