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In a Friday memo that trumps all other Friday memos, President Obama has told Congress that there are still threats in Iraq and has renewed the executive order of "national emergency with respect to Iraq for one more year."
That's sort of confusing right? Whether the "national emergency" is here or there? And it's actually both. The White House release notes that the first executive order, made during George W. Bush's presidency in 2003, asked for protection for the "Development Fund for Iraq and certain other property in which Iraq has an interest" and to deal with threats tied to American foreign policy and national security--hence a national emergency based on the situation in Iraq.
Today Obama ordered the renewal of this executive order, which is just a tad bit disconcerting considering we are (were?) supposed to be finished in Iraq. In his official message to Congress today, Obama writes:
Obstacles to the orderly reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and security in the country, and the development of political, administrative, and economic institutions in Iraq continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. Accordingly, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to this threat and maintain in force the measures taken to deal with that national emergency.
Here's the full briefing: