Obama pulls combat troops, U. responds
President Barack Obama officially announced the American troop withdrawal from Iraq Tuesday night, bringing an end to a seven-year war that fractured both the government and American society.
In his address to the nation, Obama informed the country there would no longer be any military combat missions in Iraq.
"Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country," he said.
Obama gave credit not only to the thousands of American troops deployed to Iraq during the war but to Iraqi forces as well.
"The Americans who have served in Iraq completed every mission they were given. They defeated a regime that had terrorized its people," he said. "Together with Iraqis and coalition partners who made huge sacrifices of their own, our troops fought block by block to help Iraq seize the chance for a better future."
Director of Eagleton Institute of Politics Ruth Mandel said it was difficult for Obama to inherit a war he did not support but succeeded in ending it.
"He believed we should not have gone to war and in his campaign, the president said he would end [the war]," she said. "He said he would bring our combat troops home. So he is doing what he said he would do."
She added it was especially hard for Obama to announce the withdrawal of troops from Iraq without also declaring a victory.
"If you are the president and you say we are bringing our troops home without claiming a victory, then how do you frame the message about the end of the war?" she said. "How do you properly recognize and honor the service of the American military?"
Although there was no victory to announce, some University students were glad to hear American combat troops will finally be pulled from Iraq.
"I think it is about time," said David Cline, a School of Arts and Sciences junior. "The troops have been there since Bush's term so it is about time we got them home."
Cline also agreed with Mandel, saying it is nice to have an elected leader who comes through on his promises.
"Accountability is the one of the biggest things you can have in any elected leader and by pulling out the troops and setting a date for that, [Obama] showed he can be accountable and be trusted," he said.
Even though there will be no more American combat missions in Iraq, some University students are still skeptical about the American involvement in Iraq.
"The war is not over and Obama did not acknowledge that at all," said Noah Glyn, president of the Rutgers University College Republicans. "It's not the end of our presence, not by a long shot."
Rutgers University Democrats President Christopher Pflaum agreed with Glyn, but said it was necessary to keep sustained peace in Iraq.
"If every single U.S. delegate, if every single U.S. soldier and every single world dollar left Iraq this second, the country would probably fall apart," said Pflaum, a School of Arts and Sciences senior. "But I think it is more than reasonable to think the Iraqi people are on a sustainable path as long as we continue to help them."
Pflaum also agreed with Mandel and Cline, saying it was nice to see Obama come through on his promise to withdrawal troops.
"It goes more into the character of our president. He had a lot of guts to do this," he said. "People are criticizing him for it … but he stuck to his guns because he knows and believes his policy is the right policy."
But Glyn said it was not Obama's decision to withdrawal the troops from Iraq and that he is taking credit for a promise former President George W. Bush committed to during his presidency.
"There is a saying that victory has 1,000 fathers and Obama is trying to take credit for this victory," said Glyn, a School of Arts and Sciences junior. "But in reality, I think he would fail a paternity test."
With the end of combat missions in Iraq, Obama is now focused on deploying more troops to Afghanistan.
"As we speak, al-Qaida continues to plot against us, and its leadership remains anchored in the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said. "We will disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida, while preventing Afghanistan from again serving as a base for terrorists."
Mandel acknowledged the American public questioning over the past decade whether Iraq or Afghanistan was the right place to bring war. But she said that question is now in the past.
"President Obama made the decision to go into Afghanistan so now, that is his war," she said. "Iraq was President Bush's war and this is now [Obama's] war."
