Today we see history being made....
First Black African American President ....
And did you know he can speak Malay ; )
Taken from wikepedia : " Throughout his early years, Obama was known at home and at school as "Barry." Obama's parents met while both were attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where his father was enrolled as a foreign student They separated when he was two years old and later divorced. His father received a Masters degree in Economics from Harvard University, then returned to Kenya, where he became a finance minister before dying in an automobile accident in 1982. His mother married another foreign student, Lolo Soetoro, and the family moved to Soetoro's home country of Indonesia in 1967. Obama attended local schools in Jakarta, from ages 6 to 10, where classes were taught in the Indonesian language."
Jan 23, 2009
Jan 22, 2009
Islam in Singapore
Sunni Islam is the religion of about 15% of Singapore's population; mainly the sizeable Malay minority, who constitute about 13.9% of the country's population. Other adherents include Tamil, Pakistani and Arab Muslim communities together with a tiny number of Chinese and Eurasian followers of Islam.[1][2]
Tamil Muslim traders pioneered the settlement of Serangoon in early 19th century. Today, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura) plays a very important role in the organization of Islamic affairs and therefore of the Muslim community. Authorized by the 1966 Administration of Muslim Law Act, the council, composed of members nominated by Muslim societies but appointed by the President of Singapore, is formally a statutory board that advises the president on all matters relating to the Muslim religion. It acts to centralize and standardize the practice of Islam. The council administers all Muslim trusts (wakaf); organizes a computerized and centralized collection of tithes and obligatory gifts (zakat); and manages all aspects of the pilgrimage to Mecca, including registering pilgrims, obtaining Saudi Arabian visas, and making airline reservations.
The council also helped the government reorganize the mosque system after redevelopment. Prior to the massive redevelopment and rehousing of the 1970s and 1980s, The Muslims in Singapore were served by about ninety mosques, many of which had been built and were funded and managed by local, sometimes ethnically-based, communities. Redevelopment destroyed both the mosques and the communities that had supported them, scattering the people over new housing estates. The council, in consultation with the government, decided not to rebuild the small mosques but to replace them with large central mosques.
Construction funds came from a formally voluntary contribution collected along with the Central Provident Fund deduction paid by all employed Muslims. The new central mosques can accommodate 1,000 to 2,000 persons and provide such services as kindergartens, religious classes, family counselling, leadership and community development classes, tuition and remedial instruction for school children, and Arabic language instruction.
The government has been regulating Muslim marriages and divorces since 1880, however, the 1957 Muslim Ordinance authorized the establishment of a centralized Sharia Court, with jurisdiction over divorce and inheritance cases. The court, under the Ministry of Community Development, replaced a set of government-licensed but otherwise unsupervised kathi (Islamic judges) who had previously decided on questions of divorce and inheritance, following either the traditions of particular ethnic groups or their own interpretations of Muslim law.
The court attempts to consistently enforce sharia law, a standard Islamic law as set out in the Qur'an and the decisions of early Muslim rulers and jurists, and to reduce the high rate of divorce among Malays. In 1989 the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore took direct control of the subjects taught in Islamic schools and of the Friday sermons given at all mosques.
Tamil Muslim traders pioneered the settlement of Serangoon in early 19th century. Today, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura) plays a very important role in the organization of Islamic affairs and therefore of the Muslim community. Authorized by the 1966 Administration of Muslim Law Act, the council, composed of members nominated by Muslim societies but appointed by the President of Singapore, is formally a statutory board that advises the president on all matters relating to the Muslim religion. It acts to centralize and standardize the practice of Islam. The council administers all Muslim trusts (wakaf); organizes a computerized and centralized collection of tithes and obligatory gifts (zakat); and manages all aspects of the pilgrimage to Mecca, including registering pilgrims, obtaining Saudi Arabian visas, and making airline reservations.
The council also helped the government reorganize the mosque system after redevelopment. Prior to the massive redevelopment and rehousing of the 1970s and 1980s, The Muslims in Singapore were served by about ninety mosques, many of which had been built and were funded and managed by local, sometimes ethnically-based, communities. Redevelopment destroyed both the mosques and the communities that had supported them, scattering the people over new housing estates. The council, in consultation with the government, decided not to rebuild the small mosques but to replace them with large central mosques.
Construction funds came from a formally voluntary contribution collected along with the Central Provident Fund deduction paid by all employed Muslims. The new central mosques can accommodate 1,000 to 2,000 persons and provide such services as kindergartens, religious classes, family counselling, leadership and community development classes, tuition and remedial instruction for school children, and Arabic language instruction.
The government has been regulating Muslim marriages and divorces since 1880, however, the 1957 Muslim Ordinance authorized the establishment of a centralized Sharia Court, with jurisdiction over divorce and inheritance cases. The court, under the Ministry of Community Development, replaced a set of government-licensed but otherwise unsupervised kathi (Islamic judges) who had previously decided on questions of divorce and inheritance, following either the traditions of particular ethnic groups or their own interpretations of Muslim law.
The court attempts to consistently enforce sharia law, a standard Islamic law as set out in the Qur'an and the decisions of early Muslim rulers and jurists, and to reduce the high rate of divorce among Malays. In 1989 the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore took direct control of the subjects taught in Islamic schools and of the Friday sermons given at all mosques.
Haul Habib Muhd bin Salim Al Attas @Masjid Baalwie with As-Sayyid As-Shaykh Afeefuddin Al-Gaylani, great grandson of Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Gaylani
at a later date if I have the time to transcribe. For the time being, just enjoy the youtube above by brother YZTWR)
Haul Habib Muhammad bin Salim Al-Attas @ Masjid Ba'alawi this year was very crowded with around 5000 plus 'jamaah' or even more. Among those that attended this event were:
Shaykh Afifuddin al-Jilani (Great Grandson of Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Gaylani)
Habib Umar al-Aydrus(Grandson Tokku Paloh)
Habib Abdurrahman al-Habsyi(Grandson Habib Ali Kwitang)
Habib Ahmad and Habib Jindan BinJindan(Grandson of Habib Salim BinJindan)
Habib Zayn al-Habsyi
Habib Abdullah al-Aljunied of Kuala Lumpur
Habib Iduari al-Aydrus
Habib Abbas as-Saqqaf
KH Shukran Ma'mun
KH Abdul Halim Musaddad
Habib Usman BinShihab
Habib Hud bin Bagir al-Attas
Habib Ismail Fajri al-Attas
Habib Isa BinSumayt
Habib Hashim as-Saqqaf
and Government Officials
Haul Habib Muhammad bin Salim Al-Attas @ Masjid Ba'alawi this year was very crowded with around 5000 plus 'jamaah' or even more. Among those that attended this event were:
Shaykh Afifuddin al-Jilani (Great Grandson of Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Gaylani)
Habib Umar al-Aydrus(Grandson Tokku Paloh)
Habib Abdurrahman al-Habsyi(Grandson Habib Ali Kwitang)
Habib Ahmad and Habib Jindan BinJindan(Grandson of Habib Salim BinJindan)
Habib Zayn al-Habsyi
Habib Abdullah al-Aljunied of Kuala Lumpur
Habib Iduari al-Aydrus
Habib Abbas as-Saqqaf
KH Shukran Ma'mun
KH Abdul Halim Musaddad
Habib Usman BinShihab
Habib Hud bin Bagir al-Attas
Habib Ismail Fajri al-Attas
Habib Isa BinSumayt
Habib Hashim as-Saqqaf
and Government Officials
The Story of Habib Noh
Introduction
Habib Noh was born aboard a ship in the year 1788 (1202/3 Hijri). According to Shaykh Hasan Al-Khatib, the caretaker of Maqam Habib Noh, who heard from Habib AlKhair, Habib Mohamad's wife was in labour when a huge storm hit the ship. It was a critical moment and the ship threatened to be overturned. At that time, Habib Mohamad made a nazar that if the baby arrives safely, he would name the baby "Noh" in remembrance of Nuh (Noah) who brought the light of mercy on his ship. Not long afterwards, Habib Noh arrived safely into this world.
Not much is known about the early life of this individual except that he came from the northern Malaysian state of Kedah and lived for a while in Penang an island off the coast of Kedah. He was a direct descendant of Muhammad[citation needed]. He was an Arab from Hadramaut, the area of southern Arabia that is now known as Yemen. Habib Noh's family stayed in Kedah before moving to Pulau Pinang.
[edit] Arrival in Singapore
Around 1819, Habib Noh was invited to Singapore by Habib Salim bin Abdullah Ba Sumayr after the island became a British colony. Habib Noh stayed here (in Singapore) for about 50 years. Some reports mentioned that he stayed at Kampung Kaji (next to Al-Masjid Sultan.)
He came into prominence because being a 'majdhub' as he did things that are out of the ordinary. He loved children who liked to accompany him everywhere he went.
Among his honourable habits was to distribute food to the poor. Often, he would enter a shop, take out all the money from the cash drawer and throw it to the waiting children. Those shopkeepers who were aware of his holy state did not make any attempt to stop him and were rewarded by Allah with prosperity in their business thereafter.
Such activities however, were frowned upon by the British colonial masters who tried to put him in jail a number of times. However, after doing this many times, they finally gave up and left him alone. The reason? Each time he was arrested, and put in jail, he mysteriously disappeared from his cell and was seen outside walking free. This is one of the signs of awliya, their service to God has set them free from man.
He frequently gave advice to the community. He urged his companions to always show compassion, to increase their religious knowledge and to be consistent in learning the Al-Quran. Among his advice was "Let there not be any spite or ill-will among you and let there not be even a bit of greediness among you."
Habib Noh r.a. often woke up at night to perform prayers till dawn. He often visited the graves of the Muslims in the middle of the night to read Quranic verses till dawn. Habib Noh later moved to Marang Road, near Masjid Temenggong. He would often khalwat (remain in solitude for zikrullah) atop Mount Palmer, which was then a thick jungle facing the vast sea. The peaceful setting was perhaps a way for him to get closer to Allah.
A friend of his, Hj Muhd Salleh wished to set up a small mosque for the convenience of the Habib, but Habib Noh ra passed on to the next world before his friend's intention was fulfilled. The small mosque was still built, but it was later demolished. In replacement, the Hj Muhd Salleh mosque was built at the foot of Mount Palmer, for the convenience of the guests who came to visit the Habib.
People in those days flocked to see him and sought the blessings of his sincere invocation. Since those were the days of sailing ships, traveling by ship was often hazardous and it took a few months to sail from Singapore to Jeddah, Arabia. Muslims planning to sail back to Indonesia, India and Arabia made it their practice to come and ask him to pray for their safe journey.
Stories on Habib Noh often revolve around his miracles--especially his incredible ability to appear in a number of places at the same time. He had been seen in Mecca when it was known that he has not left Singapore. He has been known to say farewell to travellers leaving Singapore with the words 'I will be there when you arrive'. When the traveller reached his destination months later, Habib Noh would be there to welcome him at the harbour.
[edit] Story 1
Once a prominent Singapore businessman was about to set sail before lunch-time on a certain day. He received word that Habib Noh wanted to have lunch with him in his house that very day. Because of his love for this great wali, he did not depart on the ship that day but stayed behind to have lunch with Habib Noh.He did not know at that time that Habib Noh--who was also known for his gift of knowing about events to come and his state of unveiling (kashf)--had come to lunch with a purpose. That was to prevent him from sailing on a ship that was doomed to be shipwrecked near Penang a few days later, going down with most of its passengers.
[edit] Story 2
A gentleman by the name of Tok Mat, who owned a horse carriage, used to take Habib Noh on rides in his carriage. One night Tok Mat was returning home alone in his carriage felt quite frightened, as Singapore, one-hundred years ago, was not a safe place as it is now. Robbers and bandits were everywhere, waiting to take unwitting travelers by surprise. Tok Mat felt fearful and wished Habib Noh was there to protect him. He turned around and was shocked to see Habib Noh sitting in his carriage and smiling at him.
[edit] Story 3
One night, Habib Noh RA was resting when he heard the continuous cries of a child, from his neighbour's house. Habib Noh RA got up and went to his neighbour's house. He gave Salaam and entered the neighbour's house, upon which, he saw the father of the child crying. He asked the mother of the child about this. The mother answered, "Habib, my child is crying because he wants to drink milk but I do not have the money to buy it. My husband is crying because he's too overwhelmed when he heard the child crying." Habib Noh RA then requested for some drinking water. The mother gave him some water in a coconut husk. Habib Noh RA read a few verses and a while later, the water turned into milk and the milk was given to the child.
[edit] Story 4
One day, a group of people visited Habib Noh RA. They waited for him as he prayed Asar. Soon, Habib Noh RA came out to meet his visitors. While he was greeting the second person in the group, he observed the man's face and said, "It's better for you to leave now because your mom is facing her last moments, and is dying." The man rushed home accompanied by Habib Noh RA. When they arrived, the man's mother had just died.
[edit] Story 5
Once there was an Arab trader who was a follower of Habib Noh RA. One day, he invited the Habib RA to his home for a farewell supplications (du'a selamat) as he was going back to Yemen on some business. The trader made preparations for his journey. According to his plans, he would leave immediately after the farewell supplications, and would head down to Keppel where a ship was awaiting. At that time, there would only be a few ships which set sail to Yemen in one week.
Something strange happened. When the Habib RA arrived, he sat on the trader's luggage while making the farewell supplications. This had never happened before. Habib Noh RA made a very long supplication, until even the trader became restless, as his ship was set to sail soon. As a sign of respect to the Habib RA, nobody dared say anything. Finally, the Habib RA ended his supplication. By then, the ship on which the trader was supposed to be in, had already left the port. The guests started eating but nobody said anything or questioned the Habib RA. The trader had missed his ship. A week later, they heard the news that the ship on which the trader was supposed to be in had sunk at the Indian Ocean, and everyone on the ship died. That's when they realised the reason behind the Habib's behaviour.
[edit] Story 6
During World War II, a Japanese plane dropped a bomb which landed on the roof of the maqam. The building surrounding the maqam was completely ruined, even the entrance to the maqam was shattered. Habib AlKhair (the entrusted caretaker) was slightly hurt. By Allah's Will, the maqam remained untouched.
Numerous stories like these are still talked about till this very day in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia and even in far away India and Yemen, among people who accept the miracles of awliya as commonplace. Speak to the present caretaker of the Habib Noh shrine, 51 year old Hassan Al-Khatib, and he will share with you his rich repertoire of stories on the life of Habib Noh. He will also tell you of unsuccessful attempts by local Wahabis and their Saudi friends to stop people from visiting this maqam.
Habib Noh died peacefully on Friday 14 Rabi`ul Awal 1283 Hijra (1866 CE ) and was buried on the hill at his own prior request. As with the martyrs and great saints, his spirit lives on and many miracles are still happening to those who have strong certainty and ask Allah for help with the baraka of this Saint of Singapore.
Even after his physical demise, Habib Noh is still held in high esteem. Whenever he meets visitors from Singapore, Shaykh Nazim Al-Haqqani, Mufti of Cyprus and world leader of the Nasqshbandi-Haqqani order, requests that they convey his salaams to Habib Noh. He also makes it a point to visit Habib Noh whenever he is in Singapore.
A measure of the high respect given to this saint can be seen in the action of Shaykh Hisham Kabbani Chairman of The Islamic Supreme Council of America and a Sufi Shaykh from the Naqshbandi Haqqani sufi Order during this visit to the maqam. Shaykh Hisham took off his shoes at the bottom of the hill on which the maqam is situated and walked barefooted up the 47 steps leading to the tomb as a sign of respect, although he was told that normally visitors take off their shoes at the top of the steps.
[edit] Death Anniversary (Haul)
His death anniversary ceremony (or haul) is often held on the last day of the month Rabiul Akhir. It starts about 'Asr with various invited 'ulamas or religious scholars from within Singapore and overseas giving lectures.
Maulid and tahlil are read after Maghrib. Generous food is then served to the hundreds of guests regardless of race or religion, after Isya' prayers.
[edit] See also
Habib Noh was born aboard a ship in the year 1788 (1202/3 Hijri). According to Shaykh Hasan Al-Khatib, the caretaker of Maqam Habib Noh, who heard from Habib AlKhair, Habib Mohamad's wife was in labour when a huge storm hit the ship. It was a critical moment and the ship threatened to be overturned. At that time, Habib Mohamad made a nazar that if the baby arrives safely, he would name the baby "Noh" in remembrance of Nuh (Noah) who brought the light of mercy on his ship. Not long afterwards, Habib Noh arrived safely into this world.
Not much is known about the early life of this individual except that he came from the northern Malaysian state of Kedah and lived for a while in Penang an island off the coast of Kedah. He was a direct descendant of Muhammad[citation needed]. He was an Arab from Hadramaut, the area of southern Arabia that is now known as Yemen. Habib Noh's family stayed in Kedah before moving to Pulau Pinang.
[edit] Arrival in Singapore
Around 1819, Habib Noh was invited to Singapore by Habib Salim bin Abdullah Ba Sumayr after the island became a British colony. Habib Noh stayed here (in Singapore) for about 50 years. Some reports mentioned that he stayed at Kampung Kaji (next to Al-Masjid Sultan.)
He came into prominence because being a 'majdhub' as he did things that are out of the ordinary. He loved children who liked to accompany him everywhere he went.
Among his honourable habits was to distribute food to the poor. Often, he would enter a shop, take out all the money from the cash drawer and throw it to the waiting children. Those shopkeepers who were aware of his holy state did not make any attempt to stop him and were rewarded by Allah with prosperity in their business thereafter.
Such activities however, were frowned upon by the British colonial masters who tried to put him in jail a number of times. However, after doing this many times, they finally gave up and left him alone. The reason? Each time he was arrested, and put in jail, he mysteriously disappeared from his cell and was seen outside walking free. This is one of the signs of awliya, their service to God has set them free from man.
He frequently gave advice to the community. He urged his companions to always show compassion, to increase their religious knowledge and to be consistent in learning the Al-Quran. Among his advice was "Let there not be any spite or ill-will among you and let there not be even a bit of greediness among you."
Habib Noh r.a. often woke up at night to perform prayers till dawn. He often visited the graves of the Muslims in the middle of the night to read Quranic verses till dawn. Habib Noh later moved to Marang Road, near Masjid Temenggong. He would often khalwat (remain in solitude for zikrullah) atop Mount Palmer, which was then a thick jungle facing the vast sea. The peaceful setting was perhaps a way for him to get closer to Allah.
A friend of his, Hj Muhd Salleh wished to set up a small mosque for the convenience of the Habib, but Habib Noh ra passed on to the next world before his friend's intention was fulfilled. The small mosque was still built, but it was later demolished. In replacement, the Hj Muhd Salleh mosque was built at the foot of Mount Palmer, for the convenience of the guests who came to visit the Habib.
People in those days flocked to see him and sought the blessings of his sincere invocation. Since those were the days of sailing ships, traveling by ship was often hazardous and it took a few months to sail from Singapore to Jeddah, Arabia. Muslims planning to sail back to Indonesia, India and Arabia made it their practice to come and ask him to pray for their safe journey.
Stories on Habib Noh often revolve around his miracles--especially his incredible ability to appear in a number of places at the same time. He had been seen in Mecca when it was known that he has not left Singapore. He has been known to say farewell to travellers leaving Singapore with the words 'I will be there when you arrive'. When the traveller reached his destination months later, Habib Noh would be there to welcome him at the harbour.
[edit] Story 1
Once a prominent Singapore businessman was about to set sail before lunch-time on a certain day. He received word that Habib Noh wanted to have lunch with him in his house that very day. Because of his love for this great wali, he did not depart on the ship that day but stayed behind to have lunch with Habib Noh.He did not know at that time that Habib Noh--who was also known for his gift of knowing about events to come and his state of unveiling (kashf)--had come to lunch with a purpose. That was to prevent him from sailing on a ship that was doomed to be shipwrecked near Penang a few days later, going down with most of its passengers.
[edit] Story 2
A gentleman by the name of Tok Mat, who owned a horse carriage, used to take Habib Noh on rides in his carriage. One night Tok Mat was returning home alone in his carriage felt quite frightened, as Singapore, one-hundred years ago, was not a safe place as it is now. Robbers and bandits were everywhere, waiting to take unwitting travelers by surprise. Tok Mat felt fearful and wished Habib Noh was there to protect him. He turned around and was shocked to see Habib Noh sitting in his carriage and smiling at him.
[edit] Story 3
One night, Habib Noh RA was resting when he heard the continuous cries of a child, from his neighbour's house. Habib Noh RA got up and went to his neighbour's house. He gave Salaam and entered the neighbour's house, upon which, he saw the father of the child crying. He asked the mother of the child about this. The mother answered, "Habib, my child is crying because he wants to drink milk but I do not have the money to buy it. My husband is crying because he's too overwhelmed when he heard the child crying." Habib Noh RA then requested for some drinking water. The mother gave him some water in a coconut husk. Habib Noh RA read a few verses and a while later, the water turned into milk and the milk was given to the child.
[edit] Story 4
One day, a group of people visited Habib Noh RA. They waited for him as he prayed Asar. Soon, Habib Noh RA came out to meet his visitors. While he was greeting the second person in the group, he observed the man's face and said, "It's better for you to leave now because your mom is facing her last moments, and is dying." The man rushed home accompanied by Habib Noh RA. When they arrived, the man's mother had just died.
[edit] Story 5
Once there was an Arab trader who was a follower of Habib Noh RA. One day, he invited the Habib RA to his home for a farewell supplications (du'a selamat) as he was going back to Yemen on some business. The trader made preparations for his journey. According to his plans, he would leave immediately after the farewell supplications, and would head down to Keppel where a ship was awaiting. At that time, there would only be a few ships which set sail to Yemen in one week.
Something strange happened. When the Habib RA arrived, he sat on the trader's luggage while making the farewell supplications. This had never happened before. Habib Noh RA made a very long supplication, until even the trader became restless, as his ship was set to sail soon. As a sign of respect to the Habib RA, nobody dared say anything. Finally, the Habib RA ended his supplication. By then, the ship on which the trader was supposed to be in, had already left the port. The guests started eating but nobody said anything or questioned the Habib RA. The trader had missed his ship. A week later, they heard the news that the ship on which the trader was supposed to be in had sunk at the Indian Ocean, and everyone on the ship died. That's when they realised the reason behind the Habib's behaviour.
[edit] Story 6
During World War II, a Japanese plane dropped a bomb which landed on the roof of the maqam. The building surrounding the maqam was completely ruined, even the entrance to the maqam was shattered. Habib AlKhair (the entrusted caretaker) was slightly hurt. By Allah's Will, the maqam remained untouched.
Numerous stories like these are still talked about till this very day in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia and even in far away India and Yemen, among people who accept the miracles of awliya as commonplace. Speak to the present caretaker of the Habib Noh shrine, 51 year old Hassan Al-Khatib, and he will share with you his rich repertoire of stories on the life of Habib Noh. He will also tell you of unsuccessful attempts by local Wahabis and their Saudi friends to stop people from visiting this maqam.
Habib Noh died peacefully on Friday 14 Rabi`ul Awal 1283 Hijra (1866 CE ) and was buried on the hill at his own prior request. As with the martyrs and great saints, his spirit lives on and many miracles are still happening to those who have strong certainty and ask Allah for help with the baraka of this Saint of Singapore.
Even after his physical demise, Habib Noh is still held in high esteem. Whenever he meets visitors from Singapore, Shaykh Nazim Al-Haqqani, Mufti of Cyprus and world leader of the Nasqshbandi-Haqqani order, requests that they convey his salaams to Habib Noh. He also makes it a point to visit Habib Noh whenever he is in Singapore.
A measure of the high respect given to this saint can be seen in the action of Shaykh Hisham Kabbani Chairman of The Islamic Supreme Council of America and a Sufi Shaykh from the Naqshbandi Haqqani sufi Order during this visit to the maqam. Shaykh Hisham took off his shoes at the bottom of the hill on which the maqam is situated and walked barefooted up the 47 steps leading to the tomb as a sign of respect, although he was told that normally visitors take off their shoes at the top of the steps.
[edit] Death Anniversary (Haul)
His death anniversary ceremony (or haul) is often held on the last day of the month Rabiul Akhir. It starts about 'Asr with various invited 'ulamas or religious scholars from within Singapore and overseas giving lectures.
Maulid and tahlil are read after Maghrib. Generous food is then served to the hundreds of guests regardless of race or religion, after Isya' prayers.
[edit] See also
Jan 20, 2009
My Plan for Iraq
CHICAGO — The call by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki for a timetable for the removal of American troops from Iraq presents an enormous opportunity. We should seize this moment to begin the phased redeployment of combat troops that I have long advocated, and that is needed for long-term success in Iraq and the security interests of the United States.
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The differences on Iraq in this campaign are deep. Unlike Senator John McCain, I opposed the war in Iraq before it began, and would end it as president. I believed it was a grave mistake to allow ourselves to be distracted from the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban by invading a country that posed no imminent threat and had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. Since then, more than 4,000 Americans have died and we have spent nearly $1 trillion. Our military is overstretched. Nearly every threat we face — from Afghanistan to Al Qaeda to Iran — has grown.
In the 18 months since President Bush announced the surge, our troops have performed heroically in bringing down the level of violence. New tactics have protected the Iraqi population, and the Sunni tribes have rejected Al Qaeda — greatly weakening its effectiveness.
But the same factors that led me to oppose the surge still hold true. The strain on our military has grown, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated and we’ve spent nearly $200 billion more in Iraq than we had budgeted. Iraq’s leaders have failed to invest tens of billions of dollars in oil revenues in rebuilding their own country, and they have not reached the political accommodation that was the stated purpose of the surge.
The good news is that Iraq’s leaders want to take responsibility for their country by negotiating a timetable for the removal of American troops. Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. James Dubik, the American officer in charge of training Iraq’s security forces, estimates that the Iraqi Army and police will be ready to assume responsibility for security in 2009.
Only by redeploying our troops can we press the Iraqis to reach comprehensive political accommodation and achieve a successful transition to Iraqis’ taking responsibility for the security and stability of their country. Instead of seizing the moment and encouraging Iraqis to step up, the Bush administration and Senator McCain are refusing to embrace this transition — despite their previous commitments to respect the will of Iraq’s sovereign government. They call any timetable for the removal of American troops “surrender,” even though we would be turning Iraq over to a sovereign Iraqi government.
But this is not a strategy for success — it is a strategy for staying that runs contrary to the will of the Iraqi people, the American people and the security interests of the United States. That is why, on my first day in office, I would give the military a new mission: ending this war.
As I’ve said many times, we must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in. We can safely redeploy our combat brigades at a pace that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 — two years from now, and more than seven years after the war began. After this redeployment, a residual force in Iraq would perform limited missions: going after any remnants of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, protecting American service members and, so long as the Iraqis make political progress, training Iraqi security forces. That would not be a precipitous withdrawal.
In carrying out this strategy, we would inevitably need to make tactical adjustments. As I have often said, I would consult with commanders on the ground and the Iraqi government to ensure that our troops were redeployed safely, and our interests protected. We would move them from secure areas first and volatile areas later. We would pursue a diplomatic offensive with every nation in the region on behalf of Iraq’s stability, and commit $2 billion to a new international effort to support Iraq’s refugees.
Ending the war is essential to meeting our broader strategic goals, starting in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the Taliban is resurgent and Al Qaeda has a safe haven. Iraq is not the central front in the war on terrorism, and it never has been. As Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently pointed out, we won’t have sufficient resources to finish the job in Afghanistan until we reduce our commitment to Iraq.
As president, I would pursue a new strategy, and begin by providing at least two additional combat brigades to support our effort in Afghanistan. We need more troops, more helicopters, better intelligence-gathering and more nonmilitary assistance to accomplish the mission there. I would not hold our military, our resources and our foreign policy hostage to a misguided desire to maintain permanent bases in Iraq.
In this campaign, there are honest differences over Iraq, and we should discuss them with the thoroughness they deserve. Unlike Senator McCain, I would make it absolutely clear that we seek no presence in Iraq similar to our permanent bases in South Korea, and would redeploy our troops out of Iraq and focus on the broader security challenges that we face. But for far too long, those responsible for the greatest strategic blunder in the recent history of American foreign policy have ignored useful debate in favor of making false charges about flip-flops and surrender.
It’s not going to work this time. It’s time to end this war.
Barack Obama, a United States senator from Illinois, is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
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Paul Hoppe
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The differences on Iraq in this campaign are deep. Unlike Senator John McCain, I opposed the war in Iraq before it began, and would end it as president. I believed it was a grave mistake to allow ourselves to be distracted from the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban by invading a country that posed no imminent threat and had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. Since then, more than 4,000 Americans have died and we have spent nearly $1 trillion. Our military is overstretched. Nearly every threat we face — from Afghanistan to Al Qaeda to Iran — has grown.
In the 18 months since President Bush announced the surge, our troops have performed heroically in bringing down the level of violence. New tactics have protected the Iraqi population, and the Sunni tribes have rejected Al Qaeda — greatly weakening its effectiveness.
But the same factors that led me to oppose the surge still hold true. The strain on our military has grown, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated and we’ve spent nearly $200 billion more in Iraq than we had budgeted. Iraq’s leaders have failed to invest tens of billions of dollars in oil revenues in rebuilding their own country, and they have not reached the political accommodation that was the stated purpose of the surge.
The good news is that Iraq’s leaders want to take responsibility for their country by negotiating a timetable for the removal of American troops. Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. James Dubik, the American officer in charge of training Iraq’s security forces, estimates that the Iraqi Army and police will be ready to assume responsibility for security in 2009.
Only by redeploying our troops can we press the Iraqis to reach comprehensive political accommodation and achieve a successful transition to Iraqis’ taking responsibility for the security and stability of their country. Instead of seizing the moment and encouraging Iraqis to step up, the Bush administration and Senator McCain are refusing to embrace this transition — despite their previous commitments to respect the will of Iraq’s sovereign government. They call any timetable for the removal of American troops “surrender,” even though we would be turning Iraq over to a sovereign Iraqi government.
But this is not a strategy for success — it is a strategy for staying that runs contrary to the will of the Iraqi people, the American people and the security interests of the United States. That is why, on my first day in office, I would give the military a new mission: ending this war.
As I’ve said many times, we must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in. We can safely redeploy our combat brigades at a pace that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 — two years from now, and more than seven years after the war began. After this redeployment, a residual force in Iraq would perform limited missions: going after any remnants of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, protecting American service members and, so long as the Iraqis make political progress, training Iraqi security forces. That would not be a precipitous withdrawal.
In carrying out this strategy, we would inevitably need to make tactical adjustments. As I have often said, I would consult with commanders on the ground and the Iraqi government to ensure that our troops were redeployed safely, and our interests protected. We would move them from secure areas first and volatile areas later. We would pursue a diplomatic offensive with every nation in the region on behalf of Iraq’s stability, and commit $2 billion to a new international effort to support Iraq’s refugees.
Ending the war is essential to meeting our broader strategic goals, starting in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the Taliban is resurgent and Al Qaeda has a safe haven. Iraq is not the central front in the war on terrorism, and it never has been. As Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently pointed out, we won’t have sufficient resources to finish the job in Afghanistan until we reduce our commitment to Iraq.
As president, I would pursue a new strategy, and begin by providing at least two additional combat brigades to support our effort in Afghanistan. We need more troops, more helicopters, better intelligence-gathering and more nonmilitary assistance to accomplish the mission there. I would not hold our military, our resources and our foreign policy hostage to a misguided desire to maintain permanent bases in Iraq.
In this campaign, there are honest differences over Iraq, and we should discuss them with the thoroughness they deserve. Unlike Senator McCain, I would make it absolutely clear that we seek no presence in Iraq similar to our permanent bases in South Korea, and would redeploy our troops out of Iraq and focus on the broader security challenges that we face. But for far too long, those responsible for the greatest strategic blunder in the recent history of American foreign policy have ignored useful debate in favor of making false charges about flip-flops and surrender.
It’s not going to work this time. It’s time to end this war.
Barack Obama, a United States senator from Illinois, is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
Barack Obama and Joe Biden's Plan
Judgment You Can Trust
In 2002, as the conventional thinking in Washington lined up with President Bush for war, Obama had the judgment and courage to speak out against going to war, and to warn of “an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs, and undetermined consequences.” He and Joe Biden are fully committed to ending the war in Iraq as president.
A Responsible, Phased Withdrawal
Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe we must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in. Immediately upon taking office, Obama will give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new mission in Iraq: ending the war. The removal of our troops will be responsible and phased, directed by military commanders on the ground and done in consultation with the Iraqi government. Military experts believe we can safely redeploy combat brigades from Iraq at a pace of 1 to 2 brigades a month that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 – more than 7 years after the war began.
Under the Obama-Biden plan, a residual force will remain in Iraq and in the region to conduct targeted counter-terrorism missions against al Qaeda in Iraq and to protect American diplomatic and civilian personnel. They will not build permanent bases in Iraq, but will continue efforts to train and support the Iraqi security forces as long as Iraqi leaders move toward political reconciliation and away from sectarianism.
Encouraging Political Accommodation
Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that the U.S. must apply pressure on the Iraqi government to work toward real political accommodation. There is no military solution to Iraq’s political differences, but the Bush Administration’s blank check approach has failed to press Iraq’s leaders to take responsibility for their future or to substantially spend their oil revenues on their own reconstruction.
Obama and Biden's plan offers the best prospect for lasting stability in Iraq. A phased withdrawal will encourage Iraqis to take the lead in securing their own country and making political compromises, while the responsible pace of redeployment called for by the Obama-Biden plan offers more than enough time for Iraqi leaders to get their own house in order. As our forces redeploy, Obama and Biden will make sure we engage representatives from all levels of Iraqi society—in and out of government—to forge compromises on oil revenue sharing, the equitable provision of services, federalism, the status of disputed territories, new elections, aid to displaced Iraqis, and the reform of Iraqi security forces.
Surging Diplomacy
Barack Obama and Joe Biden will launch an aggressive diplomatic effort to reach a comprehensive compact on the stability of Iraq and the region. This effort will include all of Iraq’s neighbors—including Iran and Syria, as suggested by the bi-partisan The Iraq Study Group Report. This compact will aim to secure Iraq’s borders; keep neighboring countries from meddling inside Iraq; isolate al Qaeda; support reconciliation among Iraq’s sectarian groups; and provide financial support for Iraq’s reconstruction and development.
Preventing Humanitarian Crisis
Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that America has both a moral obligation and a responsibility for security that demands we confront Iraq’s humanitarian crisis—more than five million Iraqis are refugees or are displaced inside their own country. Obama and Biden will form an international working group to address this crisis. He will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own country can find sanctuary. Obama and Biden will also work with Iraqi authorities and the international community to hold the perpetrators of potential war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide accountable. They will reserve the right to intervene militarily, with our international partners, to suppress potential genocidal violence within Iraq.
The Status-of-Forces-Agreement
Obama and Biden believe any Status of Forces Agreement, or any strategic framework agreement, should be negotiated in the context of a broader commitment by the U.S. to begin withdrawing its troops and forswearing permanent bases. Obama and Biden also believe that any security accord must be subject to Congressional approval. It is unacceptable that the Iraqi government will present the agreement to the Iraqi parliament for approval—yet the Bush administration will not do the same with the U.S. Congress. The Bush administration must submit the agreement to Congress or allow the next administration to negotiate an agreement that has bipartisan support here at home and makes absolutely clear that the U.S. will not maintain permanent bases in Iraq.
In 2002, as the conventional thinking in Washington lined up with President Bush for war, Obama had the judgment and courage to speak out against going to war, and to warn of “an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs, and undetermined consequences.” He and Joe Biden are fully committed to ending the war in Iraq as president.
A Responsible, Phased Withdrawal
Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe we must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in. Immediately upon taking office, Obama will give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new mission in Iraq: ending the war. The removal of our troops will be responsible and phased, directed by military commanders on the ground and done in consultation with the Iraqi government. Military experts believe we can safely redeploy combat brigades from Iraq at a pace of 1 to 2 brigades a month that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 – more than 7 years after the war began.
Under the Obama-Biden plan, a residual force will remain in Iraq and in the region to conduct targeted counter-terrorism missions against al Qaeda in Iraq and to protect American diplomatic and civilian personnel. They will not build permanent bases in Iraq, but will continue efforts to train and support the Iraqi security forces as long as Iraqi leaders move toward political reconciliation and away from sectarianism.
Encouraging Political Accommodation
Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that the U.S. must apply pressure on the Iraqi government to work toward real political accommodation. There is no military solution to Iraq’s political differences, but the Bush Administration’s blank check approach has failed to press Iraq’s leaders to take responsibility for their future or to substantially spend their oil revenues on their own reconstruction.
Obama and Biden's plan offers the best prospect for lasting stability in Iraq. A phased withdrawal will encourage Iraqis to take the lead in securing their own country and making political compromises, while the responsible pace of redeployment called for by the Obama-Biden plan offers more than enough time for Iraqi leaders to get their own house in order. As our forces redeploy, Obama and Biden will make sure we engage representatives from all levels of Iraqi society—in and out of government—to forge compromises on oil revenue sharing, the equitable provision of services, federalism, the status of disputed territories, new elections, aid to displaced Iraqis, and the reform of Iraqi security forces.
Surging Diplomacy
Barack Obama and Joe Biden will launch an aggressive diplomatic effort to reach a comprehensive compact on the stability of Iraq and the region. This effort will include all of Iraq’s neighbors—including Iran and Syria, as suggested by the bi-partisan The Iraq Study Group Report. This compact will aim to secure Iraq’s borders; keep neighboring countries from meddling inside Iraq; isolate al Qaeda; support reconciliation among Iraq’s sectarian groups; and provide financial support for Iraq’s reconstruction and development.
Preventing Humanitarian Crisis
Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that America has both a moral obligation and a responsibility for security that demands we confront Iraq’s humanitarian crisis—more than five million Iraqis are refugees or are displaced inside their own country. Obama and Biden will form an international working group to address this crisis. He will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own country can find sanctuary. Obama and Biden will also work with Iraqi authorities and the international community to hold the perpetrators of potential war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide accountable. They will reserve the right to intervene militarily, with our international partners, to suppress potential genocidal violence within Iraq.
The Status-of-Forces-Agreement
Obama and Biden believe any Status of Forces Agreement, or any strategic framework agreement, should be negotiated in the context of a broader commitment by the U.S. to begin withdrawing its troops and forswearing permanent bases. Obama and Biden also believe that any security accord must be subject to Congressional approval. It is unacceptable that the Iraqi government will present the agreement to the Iraqi parliament for approval—yet the Bush administration will not do the same with the U.S. Congress. The Bush administration must submit the agreement to Congress or allow the next administration to negotiate an agreement that has bipartisan support here at home and makes absolutely clear that the U.S. will not maintain permanent bases in Iraq.
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