Ending the Mindset that Got Us into Iraq

prospect.org — President Obama’s announcement yesterday of his nomination of former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense is important in a couple of ways. The first is that by following through with a candidate who faced one of the most intense negative pre-nomination campaigns in recent memory, the president signaled that is shaking off some of the caution that characterized his first term, and is prepared to undertake a bolder political course. The second way the Hagel nomination is important, one that has even more significant implications for U.S. foreign policy, is that Obama may be preparing to pursue one of the more ambitious goals he articulated as a candidate for president. Back in January 2008, Senator Obama took the opportunity during a debate to explain his opposition to the Iraq war. “I don't want to just end the war,” he insisted, “I want to end the mindset that got us into war in the first place.”

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