The conventional wisdom is the Iraq War was a massive failure and it was a mistake to invade in the first place. But what the Left won’t tell you is that the Iraq War was won — until Barack Obama lost it.
Pete Hegseth, an Iraq War veteran, explains in PragerU’s latest video that initially there was overwhelming support for the Iraq War from both sides of the aisle and several countries, but when weapons of mass destruction weren’t found and the death toll rose, public support waned.
But when all seemed lost, President George W. Bush decided to implement what became known as “The Surge” — sending a wave of new troops into the war. Despite the barrage of criticism from the Democrats, The Surge worked.
“In 2008, I returned to the country to see for myself,” said Hegseth. “I had seen the ‘before.’ I could hardly believe the ‘after.'”
Hegseth added, “Attacks on U.S. forces were down 90%. American casualties were rare. Baghdad’s most dangerous neighborhoods were secure. Al Qaeda in Iraq was decimated. The oil was flowing again. Iraqis were rebuilding. And new elections were held.”
Even President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were optimistic about the state of Iraq shortly after they took office, but Iraq deteriorated under their watch mainly because the Obama administration was unable to reach a Status of Forces agreement with the Iraqi government.
“The Iraqis said they wanted to be able to prosecute American soldiers who broke Iraqi law,” said Hegseth. “Appropriately, the Obama Administration said no; we will prosecute our own lawbreakers. But instead of continuing to work toward an agreement, the president, against the advice of his own generals, ended negotiations.”
Once American troops had completely left Iraq, a gaping vacuum was left in its wake that was filled with the horrors of Iran and ISIS. ISIS went on a rampage through various Iraqi cities while Iran gained influence over the Iraqi government.
“The painful lesson is this: resolve works, and retreat doesn’t,” Hegseth concluded. “When America commits to military victory, as it did during The Surge, it can defeat its enemies. But when America retreats for political reasons, it loses. And so do millions of others.”
The full video can be seen below:
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