Bush on ISIS Before There Was an ISIS

Say what you will about Bush 43, but you gotta give him props on this one. Here’s part of what he said in a speech given on July 12th, 2007:

“I know some in Washington would like us to start leaving Iraq now. To begin withdrawing before our commanders tell us we are ready would be dangerous for Iraq, for the region, and for the United States. It would mean surrendering the future of Iraq to al Qaeda. It would mean that we’d be risking mass killings on a horrific scale. It would mean we’d allow the terrorists to establish a safe haven in Iraq to replace the one they lost in Afghanistan. It would mean increasing the probability that American troops would have to return at some later date to confront an enemy that is even more dangerous.”

President Barack Obama did withdraw troops before the commanders on the ground said they were ready to do so. In fact commanders recommended leaving 20,000 troops in Iraq — but Obama left none.

After our forces left, Al Qaeda’s successor, ISIS, the Islāmic State, came into power and has quickly grown in strength. Now – with ‘limited airpower’ and 495 U.S. advisors (but no ‘boots on the ground’) – we are returning to the same battlefields under our latest war-president, Barack Obama.