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Obama Gaffes on Iraq and Afghanistan
May 13, 2008 4:27 PM
ABC News' David Wright and Sunlen Miller Report: Sporting a shiny new American flag pin at an appearance in Rush Limbaugh's hometown, Sen. Barack Obama came up with some novel reasons why the U.S. may be struggling in the war in Afghanistan.
"We don't have enough capacity right now to deal with it -- and it's not just the troops," Obama, D-Ill., told a crowd in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Obama posited -- incorrectly -- that Arabic translators deployed in Iraq are needed in Afghanistan -- forgetting, momentarily, that Afghans don't speak Arabic.
"We only have a certain number of them and if they are all in Iraq, then its harder for us to use them in Afghanistan," Obama said.
The vast majority of military translators in both war zones are drawn from the local population.
Naturally they speak the local language. In Iraq, that's Arabic or Kurdish. In Afghanistan, it's any of a half dozen other languages -- including Pashtu, Dari, and Farsi.
No sooner did Obama realize his mistake -- and correct himself -- but he immediately made another.
"We need agricultural specialists in Afghanistan, people who can help them develop other crops than heroin poppies, because the drug trade in Afghanistan is what is driving and financing these terrorist networks. So we need agricultural specialists," he said.
So far, so good.
"But if we are sending them to Baghdad, they're not in Afghanistan," Obama said.
Iraq has many problems, but encouraging farmers to grow food instead of opium poppies isn't one of them. In Iraq, oil fields not poppy fields are a major source of U.S. technical assistance.
There are other infrastructure problems both countries share that U.S. advisors have struggled to address -- a lack of safe roads, schools, adequate electricity, etc. -- but Obama did not mention these.
Obama's overall point may well be true: that U.S. efforts in Iraq have come at the expense of the battle against al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Still it's not asking too much to expect the man many say will soon be the Democratic nominee to cite the right facts to back up his thesis.
UPDATE: Bill Burton, Obama campaign spokesperson, disputes this report, writing in to say, "This poorly researched and written piece is inaccurate in that it just completely ignores the need for Arabic translators in Afghanistan, and the need for agricultural specialists in Iraq. It is irresponsible to report such issues so matter-of-factly without checking out the actual facts. Please reference these very simple and easy to find websites to learn more about these issues: on the need for agricultural specialists in Iraq; and on the foreign fighters in Afghanistan.
To which, ABC News' David Wright responds:
Interesting pushback from the Obama campaign on this story. It begs a response.
They point out that the U.S. has indeed deployed agricultural experts to Iraq, in an effort to work with aid organizations to rebuild Iraq's food infrastructure. Other technical experts were deployed early on to southern Iraq to help rebuild the ravaged ecosystem of the Marsh Arabs, whom Saddam Hussein sought to exterminate. The U.S. and its allies sent much and varied assistance to the Iraqi people, including agricultural aid. My bad.
However, Obama's point seemed to be that the Iraq effort constituted a brain drain in the Afghanistan agricultural problems, that the experts deployed to Iraq would otherwise have gone to Afghanistan to encourage Afghan farmers to grow food not poppies. That strikes me –- as someone who has covered the conflicts in both countries extensively -- as doubtful.
The main problem now in both Iraq and Afghanistan is the lack of security, which makes it too dangerous for the experts to do their work.
As far as that goes, Obama's overall point –- as noted in the original piece –- is probably valid. The vast numbers of troops needed to secure Iraq (unsuccessfully) have had an impact on the troop available for Afghanistan. Neither country is particularly safe right now. (Then again, Obama wants to start withdrawing the troops from Iraq. Would that make it any safer for agricultural experts and aid organizations to lend whatever hand is needed there?)
As for the point about Arabic translators needed for Afghanistan, the Obama campaign points to the well-documented presence of foreign fighters there, many of whom do speak Arabic. However, these folks are mostly shooting at NATO troops, not talking to them.
No doubt there are a handful of Arabic speakers employed at Bagram and Kandahar and other detention centers to interrogate foreign fighters captured on the battlefield. But I have not seen any reports that there is a shortage of such personnel, or that the need for such translators in Iraq has hamstrung the interrogators in Afghanistan.
Foreign fighters captured in BOTH Iraq and Afghanistan have also been sent to detention centers such as the one in Guantanamo. Is there a shortage of Arabic translators there or at other U.S. detention facilities overseas? That would be an interesting news story. Again, I haven't seen any proof of it.
To reiterate: Obama's main point may well be fair: that Iraq has made Afghanistan tougher to win by stretching our resources too thin. But are these really the best examples for him to cite of why this may be the case?
May 13, 2008 in Political Radar | Permalink | Share | User Comments (97)
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Sometimes these politicians should just keep their mouths shut. He is obviously exploiting the fact that he was against the Iraq war as he should, but he needs to get the basic facts correct.
Posted by: huh | May 13, 2008 4:43:21 PM
This is what many of us have been saying for 6 months. In addition to a total lack of national or foreign policy knowledge or experience plus poor judgment in his personal relationships, the man is not even well versed on real issues. Going against McCain, I see another Gerald Ford "Poland isn't a satellite" type gaffe which will make him look like the unqualified candidate that he really is.
Posted by: Deb - IL | May 13, 2008 4:48:02 PM
The basic message is correct and I do not know if we are sending agricultural specialists to Iraq or not. Just because they are not growing poppies in Iraq they have been trying to reclaim some wetlands destroyed by Saddam. I am sure that after completely destroying the infrastructure in Irag there has been a need for all sorts of specialist in IRAQ includining agricultural specialists .
I think your conclusion is wrong
Obama08
Posted by: Thinking | May 13, 2008 4:51:52 PM
And this is the Democratic candidate who has been forced upon me. God help us all. Don't blame me -- I voted for Hillary.
Posted by: Political Realist | May 13, 2008 4:55:36 PM
And remember that Obama has said that foreign policy is his strong suit. Also remember that he Chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee which handles Afghanistan.Too often he has shown that he does not have command of the issues and the details.
Posted by: hopesprings52 | May 13, 2008 4:59:21 PM
No one will be able to say anything except Barrack Obama if he is elected. Everyone else will not be allowed to have an opinion unless it's Obama's opinion. Free Speech will be a long-lost concept. This dude is not only creepy, but also scary. Eeeek.
Posted by: Kitty | May 13, 2008 5:01:58 PM
Yeah, he definitely needs to clean it up a bit before the general election picks up...
Posted by: Colin | May 13, 2008 5:03:34 PM
It doesn't matter what Obama says, his supporter such as "Thinking" will stay right behind him until they all drink the Cool Aid.
Obama might have a good brain for book learning and speaking but he is lacking in the logical reasoning department. That is probably why he chose to listen to Rev. Wright for 20 years.
I hope people will study his wife's writings, speeches and Obama's actions before they vote for him.
He is sporting a flag pin now but is he still indulging himself in the speeches of American haters? Is he still trying to change the National Anthem? Does he cover his heart when it is played? Does he respect anything about our government? To me, he is an empty politician and as the Rev. said, he speaks as a politician when he speaks. In other words, he says whatever it takes to get elected and to hell with the working class people.
Posted by: Mickey | May 13, 2008 5:09:41 PM
This campaign has made Americans weary -- it's too long! And the candidates -- all three of them -- are physically exhausted at this point! Give 'em some slack--all three of them. They've each made gaffes, and the press has unnecessarily jumped on those mistakes to make the candidates look like idiots. All three are bright people -- certainly brighter than the current president. Again, give all of them some slack!
Posted by: bookwoman2003 | May 13, 2008 5:13:45 PM
Really Obama doesn't know anything about foreign affairs. Gee Wow how shocking!!!
Um he's unelectable and unqualified.
Posted by: s.b. | May 13, 2008 5:14:19 PM
He also talked about the Great Lakes of Oregon. He's totally unqualified.
Unfortunately the MSM has been so smitten with his empty rhetoric they haven't even noticed he knows nothing.
The voters have.
Posted by: s.b. | May 13, 2008 5:16:39 PM
God Help Us. I hope you people that voted with your hearts instead of your heads are happy.
Posted by: A reader in Georgia | May 13, 2008 5:17:05 PM
Sporting a shiny new American flag pin.. LOL .. So he's NOW sporting an American flag pin??! Oh boy.....
Posted by: Thinking | May 13, 2008 5:18:27 PM
It seems to me after a little reaserch that the gaff is realy ABC's
Obama08
Posted by: Thinking | May 13, 2008 5:30:03 PM
And this is the Democratic candidate who has been forced upon me. God help us all.
The DRAMA is just getting started! Just wait to see what else is coming.
Posted by: Jkan | May 13, 2008 5:35:52 PM
Obama Apoligists...
Thank you for translating what he said. I don't speak Obamaish so it's nice of you'all to help us poor, bitter, gun-tottin, Bible clinging folks out.
It would be helpful in the future if had a translator with him or if he can be sub-titled so we can all be on the same page when he speaks.
best description of the Obamanics
GO HILLARY
Posted by: peter | May 13, 2008 5:40:05 PM
I'll take those slip ups any day over Bosnia Sniper fire Lies.
AnyDay.
Hard to compare tired slip ups with outright lies.
Obama 08
Posted by: Bud | May 13, 2008 5:45:58 PM
I find it very insulting that no matter how many times this man says or does something to make us question his integrity, these democratic analyists come on tv and "spin" everything to make us look like "idiots"!! Like we can't comprehend what we've seen, or heard. I personally am sick to death of it already!!! It is what it is, and he is what he is!!!!! I personally don't trust him.
Posted by: jg | May 13, 2008 5:52:30 PM
I remember hearing an Obama spokesperson on the all Obama network, MSNBC, say that Obama studied foreign relations in college and that is why he is good at it. Uhhhh, uhhh, don't blame me, I didn't vote for him, will never vote for him, thank you WV for showing Donna Brazile and Howard Dean what the "old" democrats have to say about this election and the so called "new democratic party". Hillary all the way to Denver!
Posted by: calli | May 13, 2008 5:54:14 PM
You have to excuse Obama.. He doesn't have much experience.. so yes, it's ok for him to goof up.
Posted by: Thinking | May 13, 2008 5:56:50 PM
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