U.S. troops praise Iraq withdrawal; Also, VoteVets' response

U.S. troops praise Iraq withdrawal: ‘I don’t think we really had a whole lot of direction.’

Today, President Obama announced the withdrawal of most U.S. troops from Iraq by August 2010 in Camp Lejuene, NC. After Obama’s speech, the AP interviewed several soldiers at the military base. While conservatives have long insisted that service members do not want to withdraw from Iraq, the troops interviewed heaped praise on Obama’s military agenda and the withdrawal timetable:


Watch it:

(http://thinkprogress.org/2009/02/27/lejuene-soldiers-obama-iraq/">First Person: Military Reacts to Obama's Plan)

“I thought the war would go on and on,” said Pvt. John R. Brown, who watched the President’s speech on Armed Forces Network in Iraq. “I thought it would never end.”

IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS REACT TO PRESIDENT OBAMA'S ANNOUNCEMENT ON IRAQ

Washington, DC - The nation's largest progressive group of veterans, VoteVets.org, today reacted positively towards President Obama's announcement on the future of the war in Iraq.

Since it was formed by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans since 2006, VoteVets.org has been the leading veterans' voice against the war in Iraq, while supporting greater involvement in Afghanistan. The group has spent millions of dollars in ads, mail, and projects designed to push for drawing down the war, since it was formed.

Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran, and Chairman of the group, said in a statement:

"Removing roughly 100,000 troops from Iraq while leaving residual training and specialized forces is a huge step toward winding down the war. Those of us who served in Iraq have fought for this for years, and we're relieved that President Obama is now moving in this direction.

"The war in Iraq was one that should have never been waged, and one which led to years of lost opportunity in Afghanistan, billions of dollars wasted, a tarnished reputation around the world, and thousands of young American lives tragically lost. It made America less safe, and decimated our military. It is the main reason that VoteVets.org was formed.

"Getting out of Iraq won't be quick, and it won't be easy. But, President Obama must continue this direction in Iraq, with the ultimate goal of having all troops out of Iraq by the end of 2011, or earlier. If he does - and we believe he will - we will be more secure, and our military will now have a chance to repair the damage done to it by the previous administration. We commend President Obama for having the clarity of vision to do what is right, and follow through with his promise to begin the process of redeploying from Iraq."