I heard Blitzer actually say that it was Bush who decided when the US

[malaise]

was to leave Iraq?

[stopbush]

1. Yep.

[tonyt53]

2. That is correct

[malaise]

7. I know it's correct

I was just shocked that he actually stated a fact.

[Warpy]

3. He didn't do it willingly

He was under pressure from the military brass who realized how close to the breaking point our military was from multiple tours in two unwinnable wars. Iraq looked like the best bet to end, a secular country under Saddam whose people remembered what that was like plus a reasonably intact infrastructure that needed repairs instead of total rebuilding. So he agreed with the Iraqis on a date to leave.

[Justice]

4. Joe Biden spoke about this recently

Here is a good summary - http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/may/18/jeb-bush/obama-refused-sign-plan-place-leave-10000-troops-i/

Bush agreed to the withdrawal deadline and agreed not to leave behind a residual force. Obama wanted a small force to remain but could not get Iraq to agree to the terms of our leaving people there.

Full Transcription of Biden's remarks below edited by me to make shorter.

SCARBOROUGH: So what do you say to critics who is say you go back six years, you go to 2010, where there actually was stability in Iraq, by -- certainly much more than there was a few years before?

What do you say to critics who say, when we all left, when everybody --- when everybody, all the American troops left, we created a void that allowed ISIS to grow and create that caliphate?

JOE BIDEN: I was either in the country -- I've been in, I think 26 times, well over 20 times into Iraq. And during this period as vice president and the year my son was there, I was there a lot. I guess I've been in eight, 10, 12 times.

There wasn't one single, solitary leader, including the Barzani and the Kurds, who would vote in the core of their parliament to allow the Status of Forces Agreement. Not one, because they were worried what would happen is it would be used against them politically, supporting the occupier.

http://info.msnbc.com/_news/2016/07/27/35882707-morning-joe-news-joe-biden-says-the-democratic-party-overall-hasnt-spoken-enough-to-white-working-class-voters?lite

[PatSeg]

6. I thought this was settled a long time ago

but this week, a lot of journalists seem to have amnesia. Several times today I watched journalists not challenge statements about Obama leaving Iraq too soon. I'm really surprised that Blitzer did.

[malaise]

8. I was very surprised

Of course we now the truth

[lunatica]

5. That's true

The Iraqi government told us to leave.

[malaise]

9. I remember

[jberryhill]

10. Yes, and?

That is correct, more or less.

It was not Bush who "decided" it. It was the Bush administration and the Iraqi government which negotiated it.

But, regardless of the semantics, Obama had nothing to do with it, and was required to abide by it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.%E2%80%93Iraq_Status_of_Forces_Agreement

The U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement (official name: Agreement Between the United States of America and the Republic of Iraq On the Withdrawal of United States Forces from Iraq and the Organization of Their Activities during Their Temporary Presence in Iraq) was a status of forces agreement (SOFA) between Iraq and the United States, signed by President George W. Bush in 2008. It established that U.S. combat forces would withdraw from Iraqi cities by June 30, 2009, and all U.S. combat forces will be completely out of Iraq by December 31, 2011.

[Wellstone ruled]

11. Please do not confuse the Rethugs with facts.

Trouble is,the American people have the attention span of a Gnat.

[malaise]

14. Including most of the media hacks

The response from way back should have been swift.

[Wellstone ruled]

18. Did a bit of checking on a couple of Trumps

bloviated statements about Hillary and Isis. When you read stories about this topic,first thing that pops is,no two stories even come close to what Trump said. Just a whole lot of mush,don't piss off the Trump or your Social Card will be revoked.

Media is far worst than Hacks,they have a agenda of their own and will write or say what ever suits their stature.

[louis-t]

12. bush said "when they no longer want us there

we will leave." He could not get a status of forces agreement from Iraq. He had no choice. Obama tried again to get status of forces agreement. We had to leave. But facts mean nothing to asshole repugs.

[Thinkingabout]

13. Yes the date was decided by Bush and he failed their get the protection agreement

For our troops and if we did not get out of Iraq they could have started charging our troops with crimes. ISIS also started in Iraq in October officially after Bush invaded Iraq in March 2003.

[malaise]

15. They all know that

but truth must never be discussed

[Thinkingabout]

16. The rewrite of history, the Republican way.

[eleny]

17. Remember when a joranalist threw his shoes at Bush's head?

That was at the press conference when Bush and al-Maliki announced the agreement.

The surprising thing is that Blitzer actually said it. Sorry I missed it but I was grocery shopping.