| Obama Visits Iraq to Discuss Challenges, Successes |
By Suzanne Presto
Irbil, Iraq
21 July 2008
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Presumptive U.S. Democratic Party presidential nominee Barack Obama is
in Baghdad, his first visit to Iraq since 2006. The visit is
considered part of Senator Obama's attempts to boost his foreign policy
credentials before the presidential election in November. VOA's
Suzanne Presto reports from the northern city of Irbil.
 | | Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, left, talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, right, during meeting in Baghdad, 21 Jul 2008 |
Senator
Barack Obama's visit to Iraq gives the Illinois senator a chance to see
first-hand the security conditions in the country. It also gives him
an opportunity to assess possibilities for the U.S. role in Iraq beyond
2008 - a central campaign issue in the U.S. presidential election.
Obama held separate meetings with Iraq's President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki.
None
of the men made public comments after the talks. Iraqi media reports
say the discussions focused on security and economic developments,
including challenges and successes.
Earlier in the day, Obama visited the southern city of Basra where he met with troops and military officials.
Speaking
in Washington, U.S. Department of Defense spokesman Bryan Whitman said
he believed officials would give Obama what they have given other
official visitors: a first-hand view of developments in the country.
"What
I would expect that he would hear would be the same things that others
have heard, " Whitman said, "and that is a perspective from the
commanders on the ground with respect to what they are seeing, the
challenges that they are facing, the successes that they are having and
the areas that still need more work."
 | | Senator Barack Obama listens as General David H. Petraeus discusses security improvements in Baghdad, 21 Jul 2008 |
Obama opposes the war in Iraq. He has repeatedly vowed to end the war if he is elected president.
Earlier
this month, Obama said if he is elected, he would like to withdraw U.S.
troops at a pace of one-to-two brigades per month, meaning combat
troops would be out in 16 months.
The German weekly Der Speigel
reported Iraq's prime minister endorsed that plan, but after those
comments ignited a firestorm of controversy Iraqi spokesman Ali
al-Dabbagh said the prime minister's comments were mistranslated and
misconstrued. But after Mr. Maliki and Obama met, Dabbagh said he
hopes U.S. combat forces could be out of Iraq by 2010.
Republican
presidential candidate John McCain says troop draw-downs must be
determined by the military and political situation. McCain says U.S.
troops could be in Iraq in some capacity for many years to come.
Obama
is traveling with two other U.S. senators. They spent the first two
days of this overseas tour in Afghanistan, followed by a stop in
Kuwait.
Obama is also expected to visit Israel, Jordan and Europe this week.
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