COURIC: You raised a lot of eyebrows on this trip saying even knowing what you know now, you still would not have supported the surge. People may be scratching their heads and saying, "Why?"
OBAMA: Well, uh, er, ka, uh -- because uh, eh, er, what I, uhhh. What I was referring to and I consistently referred to is the need for a strategy that actually concludes our involvement in Iraq and moves Iraqis to take responsibility for the country, uh, and --
COURIC: But didn't the surge do that?
OBAMA: L-l-l-et me -- Let me finish, Katie. The, uh -- What happens if we continue to put $10 to $12 billion a month into Iraq, if we are willing to send as many troops, uh, as we can muster continuing into Iraq, uh, there's no doubt that that's going to have an impact. But it doesn't meet our long-term strategic goal which is to make the American people safer over the long term
COURIC: Do you not give the surge any credit for decreasing violence?
OBAMA: No, no. Of course -- of course I have. There is no doubt that the extraordinary work of our US forces has contributed to a lessening of the violence. Just as making sure that, uh, uh, the Sadr militia stood down or the fact that the Sunni tribes, uh, decided to flip and work with us instead of with, uh, Al-Qa-e-da, something that we hadn't anticipated happening. All those things have contributed to a reduction in violence.
COURIC: But talking microcosmically, did the surge, the addition of 30,000 --
OBAMA: Heh, heh.
COURIC: -- additional troops --
OBAMA: Katie?
COURIC: -- help the situation in Iraq?
OBAMA: Katie, the -- the -- the -- Uh, you've asked me three different times and, eh, eh, I said repeatedly that there is no doubt that, uh, our troops helped to reduce violence.
COURIC: But yet --
OBAMA: There's no doubt.
COURIC: -- you are saying if you knew --
OBAMA: But, duh --
COURIC: Given what you know now, you still wouldn't support it.
OBAMA: Because the -- Because the --
COURIC: So I'm just trying to understand this.
OBAMA: Because -- because, uh, uh, i-i-it's pretty straightforward. By us putting $10 to $12 billion a month -- $200 billion -- that's money that could have gone into Afghanistan. Those additional troops could have gone into Afghanistan. That money also could have been used to shore up, uh, a declining economic situation in the United States.
COURIC: I really don't mean to belabor this, senator, because I'm really trying to figure out your position. Do you think the level of security in Iraq would exist today without the surge?
OBAMA: Katie, I have no idea what would have happened had we applied my approach which was to put more pressure on the Iraqis to arrive at a political reconciliation. So this is all hypotheticals
*** And THIS is who you want to be President!?!***
The Sunni uprising and the kicking out of Sadr Army was ALL due to the surge and our military kicking the asses of the insurgents - and Obama can't even give our military credit for that!...He can't admit that he was WRONG. The Surge Worked. Iraqi's are becoming independent with a working political system and they will be a major buffer in the region against Syria and Iran. With our bases in Iraq - Iran can't really do anything withour risking retailation.
YET - this anti-american liberal idiot without a coherent thought give us credit. I say..stay in Europe...if you think they are so great...I will stay in America. (and before any of you respond...I have worn out TWO passports traveling to Europe and Asia as I work for a NON US based company)
