The excitement of November 4th has come and gone and now we can (finally!) start discussing the possibilities of what could happen with a little more certainty.
According to the Obama Camp, not only will Mr. Obama responsibly end the war in Iraq and encourage Iraq’s leaders to take responsibility for their country and future, but also he will aggressively work on reaching a comprehensive deal on the stability of Iraq and address the Iraqi refugee crisis. In a video released prior to Election Day, Mr. Obama stated that he would help bring home American troops, assist displaced Iraqis and help those Iraqis who have helped us by admitting more asylum applicants who face danger due to their U.S-affiliation. In 2009, Mr. Obama will have the chance to send a clear signal that America has not abandoned its principles by honoring our moral and strategic obligation to our Iraqi allies.
While Mr. Obama is working with his transition team, TLP has been working with the Center for American Progress on an action plan which focuses on what we colloquially refer to as the “Guam Option”. We hope to launch this in December. As TLP has noted, there are several precedents that the new administration can draw from when planning a rescue for our Iraqi allies, and each key member of the Coalition of the Willing is doing the same for their Iraqi staff. We are hopeful that an Obama administration will consider this option. With Senators Clinton and Kennedy and broad bipartisan coalition of Congressmen who have already signaled their intent on this issue, Mr. Obama has many powerful partners in his corner to pursue an action plan.
Please stay tuned and we will keep you up on all new developments.