Lieberman "disappointed" that US to leave Iraq

Yesterday Sen. Joe Lieberman delivered a scathing critique of President Obama's decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of this year.

Lieberman said he is "profoundly disappointed" that we don't keep at least 10,000 soldiers in the nation for "a while longer" to complete "the mission". Much like our previous president, Lieberman didn't give details on how much longer they would be needed, or what the criteria is for claiming the "mission accomplished".

I wonder if the senator's "profound" disappointment comes anywhere close to the level of grieving that thousands of American families have suffered through the loss of a loved one fighting for Iraq? What I think is "profound" is Lieberman's inability to learn from the mistakes of the past and his profound capacity for repeating and expanding upon those faulty decisions.

Congressman (and senate candidate) Chris Murphy also commented upon the decision (from the Hartford Courant):

"I came to Congress as a vocal critic of the war in Iraq, which I believe was waged as a matter of choice instead of necessity, and which diverted our attention and resources from the hunt for Osama Bin Laden and the true culprits of September 11th.

This is momentous news for all Americans, especially those brave men and women who have served and sacrificed for our country overseas. As we work to bring our troops home and end these wars, it is time once again to return to our country's highest priority: rebuilding our nation at home."

And Congressman Joe Courtney, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, is similarly pleased with the decision:

"This milestone was achieved through negotiations between our two countries that provided a clear path for the transition of responsibility to the Iraqi government. After eight long years, our brave volunteers have given that country the opportunity to create its own future with a sizable security force and the rudiments of democratic institutions."

"With the Fifth Fleet nearby in Bahrain and U.S. bases in Kuwait and Qatar, our ability to respond to any threat to American national security in the region is more than adequate. As the President said, our two nations will continue to have a special relationship for many years to come, built on the sacrifice and effort of our troops. Now is the time to pay particular homage to all who served in Iraq and their families - the "one percent" who have stepped up and volunteered to wear our nation's uniform through a difficult time in our history."

The time has definitely come to let Iraq govern itself. We can finally cut down on pouring untold billions of taxpayer dollars into that wasteful mistake and apply the money here at home, hopefully to create jobs and shore up our nation's economy.

By the way, it never fails to amaze me that Joe Lieberman, who doesn't have a single immediate family member in the military, and who personally used multiple draft deferments to avoid serving his nation in Vietnam, has been such a committed warhawk throughout the years. I guess it's much easier to send other people's kids to fight and die in the wars he supports than his own. I'm sure he sleeps soundly every night.