Did President Obama Lose Iraq?

Who Lost Iraq? -- Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post

Barack Obama was a principled opponent of the Iraq war from its beginning. But when he became president in January 2009, he was handed a war that was won. The surge had succeeded. Al-Qaeda in Iraq had been routed, driven to humiliating defeat by an Anbar Awakening of Sunnis fighting side-by-side with the infidel Americans. Even more remarkably, the Shiite militias had been taken down, with U.S. backing, by the forces of Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. They crushed the Sadr militias from Basra to Sadr City.

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My Comment: Max Boot also agrees with Charles Krauthammer assessment, while Thomas Friedman from the New York Times is just simply glad that we are getting out. As to what is my take .... I agree with Iraq's top military officer that Iraq is not ready to assume security responsibilities, and as a result it is easy to predict that there is going to be more bloodshed and sectarian violence. But even with this possible catastrophe, on some level I am glad that we are leaving. It is obvious that President Obama has zero interest in maintaining a military alliance and arrangement with Iraq (and is just happy to be getting out), and the Iraqis themselves now clearly want us gone .... even while realizing that they are not ready to assume security responsibilities. Faced with such an environment .... it is then obvious that our time is up, and we better get out and let the Iraqis sort out their country. I still wish them the best .... but ... I am not optimistic.