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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    What Kind of Iraq Will the Next President Inherit?

    General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker have moved to the House side of Capitol Hill today with the same message they had for the Senate: After the surge is over, stop withdrawing troops for 45 days, and then assess what's needed; progress has been made in Iraq, but it's "fragile and reversible," and it could be jeopardized by…

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    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker have moved to the House side of Capitol Hill today with the same message they had for the Senate: After the surge is over, stop withdrawing troops for 45 days, and then assess what's needed; progress has been made in Iraq, but it's "fragile and reversible," and it could be jeopardized by "withdrawing too many forces too quickly." That sounded right to John McCain, but Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have different ideas. We get contrasting views on what the next president will be faced with -- like it or not. Can US objectives be met, or is it "all over?" Is the military stretched too thin to meet other contingencies? What do the candidates have to say?

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Iraq and the Next President of the United States
    1. 1:33American Airlines Grounds More than 1000 Flights
    2. 7:38What Kind of Iraq Will the Next President Inherit?You’re reading this
    3. 41:34Olympic Torch Politics: San Francisco Today, Buenos Aires on Deck
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • Sonya Geis with wavy brown hair wearing a black dress with red accents and decorative earrings against a white background.

      Sonya Geis

      Senior Managing Editor

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      Christian Bordal

      Managing Producer, Greater LA

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      Dan Konecky

      Producer, To the Point

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      Josh Rogin

      a Washington Post columnist covering foreign policy and national security

    • KCRW placeholder

      Barry McCaffrey

      Former Commander, US Southern Command

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      Nile Gardiner

      former Advisor to Rudy Giuliani

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Iraq and the Next President of the United States
    1. 1:33American Airlines Grounds More than 1000 Flights
    2. 7:38What Kind of Iraq Will the Next President Inherit?You’re reading this
    3. 41:34Olympic Torch Politics: San Francisco Today, Buenos Aires on Deck
    Back to To the Point