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FNC contributor Amb. John Bolton on Obama’s decision to withdraw troops from Iraq.
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We Begin tonight with today's announcement by President Obama that all American troops currently stationed in Iraq some 40000 of them.
Will be coming home by the end of the year so what does this mean for the balance of power in the Middle East and America's standing in the world.
Joining us now former US ambassador John -- who's also a Fox News contributor.
Welcome back to show great to see you John.
-- here are what do you make of the president's announcement.
Well I think it's a mistake about it's not surprising I think He had decided to do this long before He took office this is part of his.
Latter day version of George McGovern's come home America theme.
And the argument that He bases the decision on is simply fallacious it is not the case.
That withdrawing American forces from Iraq by the end of this year is gonna make -- -- or the region safer it's gonna have the opposite effect.
And jeopardize everything we fought so hard for it such a price.
After we overthrew Saddam Hussein.
Well do you believe that we need to be there.
Another three months another six months another year another -- Well I don't think you can tell I think the deployment of our assets around the world has to be based on the geo strategic reality you know if we had withdrawn our forces from Germany.
Nine years after World War II that would have been 1950 Ford not the most opportune moment to do it.
It's it's a -- it's a question of what's in the best interest of the United States I don't think we ought to be there to help the Iraqis build their nation where there for us well.
I I think -- -- and it really interesting insight.
And I'm wondering tonight.
You know it's been a big week Muammar Qaddafi was found dead -- -- we have that story we have a -- about pulling the troops out of Iraq.
-- is the international map of our interest is it changing and changing dramatically tonight.
Yet I think it is I think the Middle East is becoming.
The less secure for the United States and its friends and allies I think that level of uncertainty is -- Believe I'm happy to see Gadhafi to go and meet his maker but that's no guarantee that this sweetness and -- are gonna break out in Iraq tomorrow.
So to me what this says to underline the point you started when it.
The American national security posture is intricately related to America's economy you can't have a strong national defense without a strong economy.
And you can't have a strong economy in -- America strong in the world they are both from jeopardy now.
Well you know interesting because you know we took such heat from people in the Middle East about being there right it was one of the big complaints.
From lots of folks about our presence in Iraq.
Are what is our -- going to lift in Iraq and Iran in the Middle East and in Saudi Arabia everywhere as we pull out or is it gonna be read instead.
-- as weakness.
Well I can tell you I've had lots of conversations over the last ten years with leaders and business people in the Middle East.
Highly critical of virtually everything we did in Iraq and -- I said say -- want us to withdraw.
And uniformly they'd say of course not.
So it's one thing to be criticized for what you do it's another to.
Look like you're moving out of the neighborhood the people there aren't gonna move out they see the threat from Iran which has been.
The world central banker of international terrorism pursuing nuclear weapons.
They see the potential for radical Islam to rise in other countries in the Middle East.
They're very nervous they're nervous about America's steadfastness.
And I think this is going to be a very negative piece of evidence for them about our staying power.
Well and the cost us to have been.
Incredibly high both in terms of lives we've had 4400 troops killed and the monetary cost a trillion dollars also very expensive.
But the thing that really struck me today was the president himself talking about this move going to get -- reacted that here's the president.
We'll never stop working to give them and their families.
Care.
The benefits and the opportunities that.
They have -- This includes enlisting our veterans in the greatest challenge that we now faces a nation.
Trading opportunity and jobs.
In this country.
Because after a decade of war the nation that we need to build in the nation that we will -- -- -- Our investor how do you react to that.
I think that so cynical.
So patronizing.
That the military and their families deserve the compensation in the benefits we give them.
Most of them wanna make the military their career -- they're all volunteers there's no draft anymore.
And yet the president's own budget is -- to dramatically cut defense spending.
Reduce our capabilities.
Overseas.
And and it's the it's the factor that's gonna lead more and more people believe the military -- need to find jobs in the private sector and by the way war while we're on the subject to the private sector we'd spent.
Some of that 900 billion dollars in stimulus money.
Doing if defense procurement for planes and ships and other military equipment would have been a lot more productive than many of the projects it was wasted on.
Well you know I know tonight a lot of families are very happy hearing this news.
But you've got as big questions about where Americans going next and if it's turning inward ambassador thanks for being with us tonight we really a.
