Obama's "Hope" for Iraq and Afghanistan: leftovers and deceptive advertising

Those following Obama's earlier presidential campaign rhetoric recognize a substantial shift from his stump speech promises. Author Jeremy Scahill's Dec. 5th Alternet article ("Obama Doesn't Plan to End the Occupation in Iraq") notes Obama as recently as July telling his progressive anti-war constituency (a key voting block in his election), "I intend to end this war. My first day in office I will bring the Joint Chiefs of Staff in, and I will give them a new mission, and that is to end this war — responsibly, deliberately, but decisively."

Obama's transitional website is now pledging to send an additional 65,000 American military personnel to Afghanistan, and expand the "Global War on Terror" (GWOT). An important feature of the expanded war on terror, according to the Obama website, will be the U.S. government's extensive investment in surveillance technology. The website also states that U.S. military incursions into Pakistan will be part of his plan for the "war on terror." Click here to read the full article.