State Dep’t: Withdrawal From Iraq ‘Not a Mistake’

LEE Recognizing that if ░░░░░░░░ question is posed to ░░░░░░░░ as isn t this ░░░░░░░░ failue You re never ░░░░░░░░ to say yes it ░░░░░░░░ a failure Can I ░░░░░░░░ ask you why isn ░░░░░░░░ it Why should it ░░░░░░░░ be seen as a ░░░░░░░░ The fact that not ░░░░░░░░ the administration s strategy ░░░░░░░░ Iraq but also in ░░░░░░░░ which you said played ░░░░░░░░ major role in ISIL ░░░░░░░░ their advance Why is ░░░░░░░░ wrong to look at ░░░░░░░░ as a failure PSAKI ░░░░░░░░ Matt because I m ░░░░░░░░ one I think the ░░░░░░░░ of what we re ░░░░░░░░ at here is important ░░░░░░░░ the withdrawal from Iraq ░░░░░░░░ 2011 was not a ░░░░░░░░ we that was a ░░░░░░░░ made with the Iraqi ░░░░░░░░ and with the U ░░░░░░░░ Iraqi security agreement a ░░░░░░░░ and a timeline that ░░░░░░░░ set out five let ░░░░░░░░ see more than that ░░░░░░░░ what year are we ░░░░░░░░ Sorry several a decision ░░░░░░░░ timeline long before 2011 ░░░░░░░░ in 2008 if I ░░░░░░░░ correctly that we stand ░░░░░░░░ the decision that was ░░░░░░░░ Of course in circumstances ░░░░░░░░ this there are steps ░░░░░░░░ we have taken given ░░░░░░░░ increasing threat whether it ░░░░░░░░ the counter terrorism fund ░░░░░░░░ the president announced just ░░░░░░░░ weeks ago Or the ░░░░░░░░ in assistance we ve ░░░░░░░░ We re not going ░░░░░░░░ make an evaluation that ░░░░░░░░ is a success or ░░░░░░░░ failure because we re ░░░░░░░░ to work on it ░░░░░░░░ is in the interest ░░░░░░░░ the United States and ░░░░░░░░ interest of a range ░░░░░░░░ countries around the world ░░░░░░░░ continue to boost the ░░░░░░░░ and to take on ░░░░░░░░ threat LEE If you ░░░░░░░░ say that the withdrawal ░░░░░░░░ 2011 was not a ░░░░░░░░ which is what you ░░░░░░░░ said I presume that ░░░░░░░░ you think that it ░░░░░░░░ not a mistake to ░░░░░░░░ because you didn t ░░░░░░░░ PSAKI Not just that ░░░░░░░░ I think the other ░░░░░░░░ point here is it ░░░░░░░░ be inaccurate to assume ░░░░░░░░ the small contingent of ░░░░░░░░ that was being discussed ░░░░░░░░ the time would prevent ░░░░░░░░ stem what we re ░░░░░░░░ and what we ve ░░░░░░░░ over the past several ░░░░░░░░ or even months So ░░░░░░░░ were factors that we ░░░░░░░░ not predicted five years ░░░░░░░░ six years ago including ░░░░░░░░ the situation on the ░░░░░░░░ in Syria the impact ░░░░░░░░ that And we ve ░░░░░░░░ decisions over the past ░░░░░░░░ months that have increased ░░░░░░░░ in both cases LEE ░░░░░░░░ but I mean some ░░░░░░░░ did predict this That ░░░░░░░░ withdrawal the withdrawal in ░░░░░░░░ would lead to something ░░░░░░░░ this Maybe not something ░░░░░░░░ this time frame but ░░░░░░░░ was predicted PSAKI I ░░░░░░░░ raise to these same ░░░░░░░░ whether they would think ░░░░░░░░ the small contingent of ░░░░░░░░ that was being discussed ░░░░░░░░ keep on the ground ░░░░░░░░ ve prevented this and ░░░░░░░░ think the answer would ░░░░░░░░ no LEE Ok There ░░░░░░░░ some criticism or should ░░░░░░░░ say suspicion that the ░░░░░░░░ since he campaigned on ░░░░░░░░ the Iraq war that ░░░░░░░░ thought was a mistake ░░░░░░░░ the beginning of it ░░░░░░░░ didn t try hard ░░░░░░░░ to negotiate a unintelligible ░░░░░░░░ the Iraqis Can you ░░░░░░░░ that that is false ░░░░░░░░ I would say that ░░░░░░░░ absolutely false I would ░░░░░░░░ you that the timeline ░░░░░░░░ laid out by the ░░░░░░░░ administration It wasn t ░░░░░░░░ political decision LEE So ░░░░░░░░ re saying you can ░░░░░░░░ out that there wasn ░░░░░░░░ I m not trying ░░░░░░░░ do a double negative ░░░░░░░░ can say for sure ░░░░░░░░ the president tried as ░░░░░░░░ as he could and ░░░░░░░░ his administration to try ░░░░░░░░ hard as it could ░░░░░░░░ conclude a unintelligible word ░░░░░░░░ the Iraqi government PSAKI ░░░░░░░░ can say that there ░░░░░░░░ no politics involved in ░░░░░░░░ decision making There were ░░░░░░░░ range of factors that ░░░░░░░░ considered at the time ░░░░░░░░ three years ago and ░░░░░░░░ m obviously not going ░░░░░░░░ dial back or go ░░░░░░░░ in history to what ░░░░░░░░ occurring at the time ░░░░░░░░ When you say not ░░░░░░░░ you mean not to ░░░░░░░░ a campaign promise PSAKI ░░░░░░░░