Politics and Culture

A day after Gibbs this insulting statement:

"We are today handing responsibility to the Iraqis for an increased level of their security situation," Gibbs said during his daily press briefing. "The president will talk about why it's an important step but why we also have to remain vigilant in monitoring the situation."

The United States will also be monitoring the political reconciliation process in Iraq, he said.

When asked whether Mr. Obama is ready to declare victory in Iraq, Gibbs said, "We'll keep the banner printers from doing anything crazy."

Thousands of Americans died for this moment and Gibbs makes partisan jokes.

Obama today

Washington, 1 July (WashingtonTV)—US President Barack Obama on Tuesday praised the pullout of US forces from cities and towns in Iraq as an “important step” toward a full US troop withdrawal by the end of 2011, but warned of “difficult days” ahead.

“Today’s transition is further proof that those who have tried to pull Iraq into the abyss of disunion and civil war are on the wrong side of history,” Obama said at the White House.

Obama’s remarks came shortly after a car bomb in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk killed at least 30 people, underscoring the fragility of the country’s security, according to Reuters.

“There will be difficult days ahead. We know that the violence in Iraq will continue – we see that already in the senseless bombing of Kirkuk earlier today,” said Obama.

Obama asserted that while insurgents will seek to “test Iraq’s security forces”, he was confident that those insurgents “will fail”.

“Iraq’s future is in the hands of its own people. And Iraq’s leaders must now make some hard choices necessary to resolve key political questions, to advance opportunity, and to provide security for their towns and cities,” he added.

Decent statement. I think some kind of ceremony is in order, however. The transition from brutal anti-American dictatorship to fledgling pro-American democracy is a great accomplishment for our nation. That it was difficult only makes it more praiseworthy. Ticker tape parade, perhaps?

Chicago ticker tape parade in Chicago for Apollo 11. Iraq ain't the moon, but still...

More on what this moment means after I get done teaching today.