Senator Obama, Debate This

I’ve been blogging for months, asking Barack Obama to be clear about how he differs from Hillary Clinton in their Iraq exit plans. Now he claims he’ll be too busy campaigning to make time for another critical debate. So, I’ll tell you where he stands, and he can correct me, if he’s changed his `plan’ but hasn’t yet mentioned it.

It seems to me that Barack isn’t sure how to get out of Iraq. His statement “we’ll get out as carefully as we went in carelessly” isn’t substantive.   Additionally he has taken a position that leads me to think he can’t get us out.  Barack plans to leave in place those contracts that went to Bush’s cronies without the need to bid. (Bush made a big deal out of prohibiting international interests from gaining any financial stake in Iraq’s possible success and instead “rewarded” his friends with those no-bid contracts that have cost taxpayers, or China, whichever you prefer, so much of our wealth.)

Barack also intends to keep private armies protecting those contractors. It will be impossible for any real diplomacy to take place while we occupy Iraq, either with troops or with contractors.

No nation wants to risk the lives of their own citizens for a war that enriches Bush’s friends.  Hillary’s plan is substantive and she’ll do it, whether or not she’s called a loser, whether or not the violence goes up while we’re leaving, and she won’t reoccupy the country under any circumstance.  She understands that this war is a disaster and she’d not willing to risk one more American or Iraqi life to `give’ Iraq’s so-called freely elected government any more chances.  It’s over, when she’s elected we’ll get out of there.

She has been clear and consistent on the question of exiting Iraq. Today she released an even clearer statement on her exit plans and her plans to repair our military and help our veterans of war.  (below)

So, Senator Obama, are you too busy campaigning to explain why you want Bush’s contracts enforced, why you plan to protect them with private armies, how you expect diplomacy to work if we’re occupying with contractors, and why you think the Iraqi government would compromise if you’re elected president?  

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Hillary Clinton: Ready to End the War in Iraq - April 18, 2008 press release

Today, in Radnor, Pennsylvania , Hillary Clinton was joined by Congressman and retired vice admiral Joe Sestak as she outlined her plan to end the war responsibly. Five years after the start of the war, we have come to a crossroads.

The war has sapped our military and economic strength, damaged U.S. national security, taken the lives of almost 4,000 brave young men and women in uniform, and placed a lasting toll on the tens of thousands of wounded, many with invisible injuries like Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Bush-Cheney-McCain strategy is to continue this failed policy.

We need to end this war and bring our troops home swiftly, responsibly, and safely. We need to press the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own country. We need to rebuild our alliances and enlist the international community in securing stability in Iraq and the region.

 We need a Commander-in-Chief who is both committed to ending this war and who has the strength, experience, and leadership to do it the right way. Hillary Clinton is that candidate. As President, she will:   I. Start Bringing Our Troops Home   Bring Our Troops Home. As President, one of Hillary’s first official actions will be to convene the Joint Chiefs of Staff, her Secretary of Defense, and her National Security Council and direct them to draw up a a clear, comprehensive plan to bring home our troops, swiftly and responsibly, beginning within 60 days.

Under Hillary’s plan the United States will retain counterterrorism forces in Iraq and the region to fight al Qaeda and will not permit terrorists to have a safe haven in Iraq from which to attack the United States , its allies, or its interests.  Reduce Strains on Our Troops.

The war is placing tremendous strain on our armed forces, courting strategic risks posed by a force that is stretched to the breaking point.

As President, Hillary will also adopt the proposals of Rep. John Murtha that, for every month they spend in the field, soldiers will be guaranteed one month here at home. Our Marines will have a similar standard appropriate for their service. The Army’s policy goals and practice until the Iraq war were to have at least twice as much time at home for active duty soldiers as in the field and at least four times as much time at home as in the field for National Guard and Reserve.

As President, Hillary will reestablish these as long-term goals for our armed forces.   Remove Armed Private Military Contractors in Iraq . As U.S. troops begin to withdraw, we should not be leaving unaccountable, often irresponsible private military contractors to carry arms and engage in combat-oriented missions and security functions. Hillary has co-sponsored the Stop Security Outsourcing Act, which seeks to end this practice.

As President, Hillary will work toward a ban on armed private military contractors providing security for diplomatic personnel.  Stop Wasting Money on No-Bid Contracts. Spending on federal contracts has been the fastest-growing part of the discretionary budget over the past six years, yet has received little attention.

Under this Administration, the number of no-bid contracts has more than doubled, and between 2000 and 2006, spending on these contracts has increased 121 percent to $103 billion, representing more than half of federal procurement spending. During this time, companies like Halliburton have enjoyed record profits, thanks to a 700 percent increase in taxpayer funds awarded to them.

A recent Congressional report identified a wide range of contracts, running into the hundreds of billions of dollars, where federal auditors found massive overcharges, wasteful spending, and poor oversight. Hillary has proposed a measure that would create a new “point of order” against any spending bill in Fiscal 2009 that does not explicitly require a federal agency’s compliance with competitive contracting rules.

As President, Hillary will work to ensure that this becomes law and that we stop wasting money on no-bid contracts.   II. Secure Stability in Iraq As We Bring Our Troops Home   Greater political and economic stability means safer conditions for our departing troops and a smoother disengagement from our military’s missions across Iraq .

In order to foster stability as U.S. troops begin to redeploy, Hillary will focus on political reconciliation inside Iraq and holding the Iraqi government accountable for political and economic progress. She will:  Call on the United Nations to Play a Greater Role in Addressing Domestic Strife in Iraq . As President, Hillary will press the United Nations to play a greater role in bringing about national accommodation in Iraq , as it did with positive results in Bosnia , East Timor , and elsewhere.

The UN has already provided valuable technical assistance to Iraq , and is far more likely to be viewed as a neutral, honest broker than the United States - especially when it acts on behalf of a broad coalition of concerned states and the international community. The new UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has indicated he is willing to play a key role in assisting the Iraqis, and Hillary will ensure that the UN envoy in Iraq has the necessary authority by obtaining the Security Council’s explicit endorsement of a strengthened UN mandate to promote reconciliation.  Pursue an Integrated Strategy to Bring Stability to Iraq .

The surge has emphasized a bottom-up strategy that has reduced violence in the short term but, in the absence of an effective national strategy, risks deepening sectarian and intrasectarian divisions within Iraq in the long run. For example, the United States has established and armed local security elements - the Awakening in Anbar, for example, and other “Concerned Local Citizens” elsewhere - without getting the Iraqi government to live up to its agreement to integrate significant numbers of these local militias and “volunteers” into provincial police forces or the national Army. As President, Hillary will pursue a strategy that seeks to empower local leaders, but she will prioritize national accommodation, which is essential to stability.

She will do this by using U.S. and international influence and assistance as leverage to press the Iraqis to reach agreement on key issues, including provincial elections, the hydrocarbon law, and on the overall nature of federalism.  Appoint a Special Counsel to Make Reconstruction Funds Accountable. As Iraq ’s oil production increases, the potential revenue accumulated from oil production should increasingly fund Iraq ’s reconstruction, instead of U.S. taxpayer money.

Since 2006, Iraq has earned more than $80 billion from oil, and that figure is growing rapidly. Nevertheless, since the beginning of the war, the U.S. has provided roughly the same amount of money as the Iraqi government to rebuild the country (the United States has appropriated roughly $47 billion; the government of Iraq $50 billion).

Even as we send billions to Iraq while they earn billions in oil revenues, there are increasing reports that the Iraqi government is not spending its budget allocated for reconstruction. The Comptroller General of the U.S. testified that the capital expenditure rate for the central ministries in Iraq was only 7% as of November 2007. Hillary is committed to ensuring that Iraqi oil revenue is dedicated to reconstruction funding - and that the money is actually spent, so that Iraqi citizens receive basic services, such as electricity and clean drinking water, which are currently lacking for so many.

As President, Hillary will appoint a special counsel to investigate where Iraq ’s oil profits are going and how reconstruction funds are being spent - or not spent. She will ensure that reconstruction funds are spent wisely before providing the Iraqi government with more.  Combat the Black Market in Oil to Dry Up Funds for the Insurgency. Corruption and stolen oil sold on the black market constitute a critical funding source for the insurgency.

As President, Hillary will boost joint U.S.-Iraqi efforts to combat corruption and protect the oil supply. She will direct her Secretary of Defense to plan a nationwide U.S.-Iraqi crackdown on oil black marketers, ensuring that U.S. and Iraqi personnel have the resources and manpower necessary.

This effort will be designed to disrupt lines of funding for the insurgency, to increase stability, and to reduce attacks on our troops during the withdrawal. Hillary will direct the U.S. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction to conduct regular reports on corruption in the oil industry. She will be prepared to withhold portions of aid if the Iraqi government does not show meaningful results in its anti-corruption efforts.

Finally, Hillary will double the funding for oil pipeline exclusion zones, which prevent illegal tapping and attacks on pipelines; and she will also provide resources to stop cross-border smuggling of black market oil.   III. A New Regional Diplomatic Initiative   Enlist the International Community to Stabilize the Region. Our allies and friends in the region all have a stake in a stable Iraq . Until now, in part because of the way the Bush Administration has behaved, they have gotten a free pass. No longer.

As President, Hillary will have a unique opportunity to reach out to our allies and partners in the region and press them to take greater responsibility for what happens in Iraq . She will hold a major regional stabilization conference early in her Presidency. This group will be composed of key allies, other global powers, and all of the states bordering Iraq , including Iran and Syria . The mission of this group will be to develop and implement a strategy to create a stable Iraq . In advance of that meeting, Hillary will confer with our treaty allies as well as our friends in the region to coordinate policy before gathering with the larger group of nations. One of her first international meetings as President will be with these leaders, including Saudi Arabia , the Gulf States , Jordan , and Egypt , as well as our European allies in order to push for greater responsible action towards Iraq , including more assistance. This will send a strong signal of our country’s determination - as we draw down our forces - to ensure that the rest of the world plays its part in stabilizing Iraq . Hillary will then convene a regional stabilization group composed of key allies, other global powers, and all of the states bordering Iraq .

The mission of this group will be to develop and implement a strategy to create a stable Iraq .  Provide for Refugees. As our forces redeploy out of Iraq , Hillary will also organize a major international effort under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to address the needs of Iraqi refugees. The UN will also play a role, helping to deal with the resettlement of refugees and others displaced from their homes, a number which now exceeds four million. With the price of oil at record levels, the government of Iraq now has considerable financial resources available.

As President, Hillary will also press the UN to establish a mechanism by which some of those Iraqi funds could be used to feed, clothe, shelter, and otherwise provide for these millions of refugees. Addressing the upheaval caused by this displacement will facilitate a smoother exit and a less risky end to the war.   IV. A Champion for Veterans   When our troops come home, we must make sure they receive the care and respect that they deserve.

When Hillary is President, she will make sure that every member of our armed forces will receive a fair shot at the American Dream when their service is over. She will ensure that every veteran in America will have health care. She will work so that every veteran receives the benefits they have earned and the assistance they need - right from the start. And she will make sure no soldier ever loses a bonus because he or she has been injured in service.

As President, Hillary will:  Enact a GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century. Hillary will enact a GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century that will resurrect the spirit of the original 1944 GI Bill and offer service members, veterans and their families with expanded education, housing and entrepreneurial benefits. Her plan will guarantee equal access for all components of the Armed Forces — Active, Guard and Reserve — that have deployed overseas in support of a combat operation since September 11 or served two years of active duty since September 11. She will fund undergraduate education for service members, as well as education for specialized trade or technical training, and certification and licensing programs. She will make GI educational benefits transferable within families. She will expand the VA Home Loan Guaranty program to allow veterans to use low-interest, no-fee loans to purchase, build or improve a home valued up to $625,000. She will establish a Veterans Microloan Program to provide veterans with no-collateral, low-interest microloans of up to $100,000 for entrepreneurial ventures.  Provide Affordable and Quality Health Care for All Veterans.

As President, Hillary will ensure that all of the 1.8 million uninsured veterans in this country have access to quality, affordable health care. She will restore the Clinton-era policy that opened the VA’s excellent and cost-effective health care system to all veterans who seek to enroll. She will make a long-term commitment to the VA system to ensure it is adequately funded and has the capacity to avoid backlogs and to handle greater enrollments. And she will provide coverage through the American Health Choices Plan to all veterans who choose not to use the VA system.  Ensure All Veterans Receive the Benefits They Have Earned and the Assistance They Need — Right from the Start. As President, Hillary will commit to getting a fair, accurate, and timely decision for every veteran filing a disability claim.

She will increase the number of qualified VA evaluators to reduce the backlog of claims. She will provide fast-track training for new claims specialists and expand the Benefits Delivery at Discharge Program to smooth the transition from service to discharge for all those who serve our country.