American Promises

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took questions in a town hall style meeting in Iraq this weekend. Full transcript here.

This exchange was notable:

QUESTION: William Worda (ph), activist in media and human rights. Following the situation in United State, we know that the new Administration in – of USA now engaged in the internal issues, especially economy. And it’s – looks like to us that the situation of Iraq is not so important or it’s not in the same level of importance for the new Administration.

I would like to ask whether this policy is a kind of reprieve or a kind of making another policy different for Iraq?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Let me assure you and repeat what President Obama said. We are committed to Iraq. We want to see a stable, sovereign, self-reliant Iraq. But we know we’re coming into office when there is a transition underway. The prior administration agreed to withdraw our troops and we support that. We want to do it in a responsible and careful way. And we also want to expand our work with the people and Government of Iraq in other areas of concern to help the government, to help the rule of law, to help the civil society. And so we are very committed, but the nature of our commitment may look somewhat different because we’re going to be withdrawing our combat troops over the next few years.

It seems to me that this position is only tenable insofar as the security situation in Iraq does not deteriorate substantially. What happens if, after the Iraqi elections are held and the U.S. begins to make good on withdrawal pledges, the security situation inside Iraq worsens?

The Obama administration has promised the American people that it will draw down U.S. combat troops from Iraq. They have, in the person of Secretary Clinton, just promised the Iraqis that we are committed to a "stable, sovereign, self-reliant" Iraq. These two promises can only be fulfilled if no large scale or sustained outbreaks of violence occur.

It's possible that the administration can keep both those promises. It's also possible that the time will come when they'll have to break faith with one of them. In such an instance, it would be useful to know which they value more: withdrawing troops or maintaining a stable Iraq.

----------

State Department photo: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at a Town Hall meeting in Baghdad, Iraq.