Candidate Obama: Genocide in Iraq is not worth keeping US forces there

Via the Associated Press:

SUNAPEE, N.H. – Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Thursday the United States cannot use its military to solve humanitarian problems and that preventing a potential genocide in Iraq isn’t a good enough reason to keep U.S. forces there.

“Well, look, if that’s the criteria by which we are making decisions on the deployment of U.S. forces, then by that argument you would have 300,000 troops in the Congo right now — where millions have been slaughtered as a consequence of ethnic strife — which we haven’t done,” Obama said in an interview with The Associated Press.

“We would be deploying unilaterally and occupying the Sudan, which we haven’t done. Those of us who care about Darfur don’t think it would be a good idea,” he said.

This is the height of irresponsibility. Obama has a point in that we are indeed not thet policeman of the world, but even at that, when we actually go to a country, as we did with Iraq, we have an obligation to stay and finish what was started, not just pick up and leave when the going gets tough. It’s not the same as if the President routinely decided to send our troops on peacekeeping missions to numerous countries around the world (which he, thankfully, has not done).

This is not the only thing he said which is startling in nature. Read on:

Obama, who has expressed reservations about capital punishment but does not oppose it, said he would support the death penalty for Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks.

“The first thing I’d support is his capture, which is something this administration has proved incapable of achieving,” Obama said. “I would then, as president, order a trial that observed international standards of due process. At that point, do I think that somebody who killed 3,000 Americans qualifies as someone who has perpetrated heinous crimes, and would qualify for the death penalty. Then yes.”

Sound familiar? He, like DNC chair Howie Dean, believes that a court of law is the best way to punish lifetime terrorist and mastermind of 9-11 Osama bin Laden.

These are staggeringly blatant examples of exactly why Democrats should not be given control of the ship in 2008. OBL and co. are no doubt salivating at the prospect of having someone like Barack Obama as president of the US and Commander in Chief of the US military.

John Howard, you were right.

Senator Obama’s motto, : “Genocide (not ‘help’) is on the way!”