Panetta and Secretary Clinton lobbied 'privately and publicly' to keep troops in Iraq, but the Obama White House pushed back.
So, too, did Michele Flournoy, then the No. 3 civilian – and top-ranking woman ever – at the Pentagon. The position “reflected not just my views, but also those of the military commanders in the region,” he writes. “But the president’s team at the White House pushed back, and the differences occasionally became heated.”
Those in favor of keeping US troops in Iraq post-2011 viewed the White House as “eager to rid itself of Iraq.” Negotiations continued with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, but “to my frustration,” Panetta writes, “the White House never really led them.”
While the White House “seemed content to endorse an agreement if State and Defense could reach one, without the president’s active advocacy, Maliki was allowed to slip away. The deal never materialized,” Panetta writes, adding that: “To this day, I believe that a small, focused US troop presence in Iraq could have effectively advised the Iraqi military on how to deal with Al Qaeda’s resurgence.”
As it stands now, the Islamic State offensive now taking place “greatly increases the risk that Iraq will become Al Qaeda’s next safe haven,” he adds. “If we don’t prevent these Sunni extremists from taking over large swaths of territory in the Middle East, it will be only a matter of time before they turn their sights on us.”
