Dear Commons Community,

President Obama restated yesterday his position on the insurgency in Iraq. While promising air support, technical, and humanitarian assistance, he reiterated that there are no plans to send ground troops to this troubled part of the world.  To quote:

“The United States will not pursue military actions that support one sect inside of Iraq at the expense of another. There’s no military solution inside of Iraq, certainly not one that is led by the United States.”

These are wise words that the previous administration of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Condolezza Rice never understood. The problems in Iraq and other parts of the Middle East are rooted in deep cultural, religious, and social issues and differences that will not be resolved with military intervention. If anything, military intervention exacerbates the problems particularly if led by a foreign power such as the United States.

Thank you, President Obama, for your wisdom and understanding!

Tony