This thread is about ISIS which did not exist at that time. Isn't it amazing how non-conservative history never wants to look at Obama's actions?
The Rs wanted troops to stay. There was a fight at the time over this. The record is clear. Also, US intell. warned loudly of the dangers of leaving. It is likely that, had we stayed, there would be no ISIS today. US presence probably could have kept such a large number of the Iraqi-Sunnis from defecting to ISIS. They felt caught between two bad options and, sadly for them, they saw ISIS less worse than staying in an Iranian-directed shia Iraqi Army. A US presence would have given a 3rd option. And certainly had the US stayed, the Iraqi troops would not have been allowed to throw down their guns and run away at the first sight of ISIS. But I concede it is impossible to prove all this, either way.
The most difficult part of this aspect of the ISIS/Obama debate is that the Iranians told al-Maliki that if he wanted a 3rd term then US troops had to leave. So, Maliki gets his share of the blame for ISIS as well. Even so, the bottom line is that if Obama wanted troops to remain, they would have. But that would have taken a vision, a plan, a lot of courage and real leadership.
Last edited: Nov 24, 2015