Obama: I Must 'Earn the Trust' of US Military

President promises US will still have 'strong presence'

(NEWSER) - As the last 6,000 American troops prepare to leave Iraq by Dec. 31, President Obama today heralded the end of the divisive war—but issued a warning to the country's neighbors: The US will continue to have a "strong presence in the Middle East." He added, in a speech made after meetings with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki this morning, that "the United States will never waiver in the defense of our allies, our partners, and our interests." More»

Doing so will only strengthen Iran

(NEWSER) - In tonight's speech on the end of combat operations in Iraq, Barack Obama has a chance to show that he’s finally learned something about geostrategy. “Of course, if he did, it would mean abandoning much of what he advocated during his election campaign,” writes John Bolton for the Daily Beast . Critics of the war in Iraq, Bolton explains, have often complained that Bush picked the "wrong target," that Iran was the real threat, and that the invasion of Iraq and toppling of Saddam Hussein only served to strengthen it. More»

Gays outed by third parties won't be prosecuted

(NEWSER) - The military will no longer aggressively pursue disciplinary action against gay service members who are outed by a third party, the Pentagon will announce today. Under the new policy, gay personnel would face discharge only if they go public themselves on their sexual orientation. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, will also announce the creation of a group to investigate how to integrate openly gay members into the armed forces—a process expected to take a year. More»

Every modern president succumbs to the National Security State, writes Wills

(NEWSER) - George W. Bush expanded executive power to an extreme degree, but he wasn't an exception, writes historian Garry Wills. Since World War II, the presidency has accrued massive, unintended authority—controlling nuclear weapons, intelligence agencies, and a worldwide military network under "the cult of the commander in chief." Barack Obama swore to reverse some of this, but as soon as they were in the White House, "the Obama people grabbed at the powers, the secrecy, the unaccountability that had led Bush into such opprobrium." More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama made an unannounced stop today in Baghdad, where he told some 600 US troops at Camp Victory that it's time for Iraqis to "take responsibility for their country" after America's commitment of six years and thousands of lives. "You have given Iraq the opportunity to stand on its own as a democratic country," he said. "That is an extraordinary achievement." As he spoke inside a marble palace, he was interrupted repeatedly with cheers from the troops, many holding up digital cameras. More»