Barack Obama landed in Iraq today and has already met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Reuters is reporting.
Obama traveled there early this morning from Kuwait, where he spent last night after a visit to Afghanistan Saturday and Sunday.
The senator's touchdown in Iraq comes just after Maliki told German magazine Der Spiegel that Obama "is right when he talks about 16 months" as a withdrawal timetable for U.S. troops.
Barack Obama highlights his work on nuclear proliferation with Republican Sen. Richard Lugar (Ind.) in a new television ad that ties national security to U.S. global leadership.
In the ad, Obama tells voters that nuclear proliferation is the most significant threat to U.S. security. He also tells supporters that the U.S. was once "a beacon of light around the world" and that it must restore its leadership role to work with other nations in reducing the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
"We have to lead the entire world to reduce that threat," Obama says.
Obama promotes his work with Lugar to secure funding for nonproliferation efforts. The two began their push for funding in 2005; it was granted in 2007. Their initiative provided $48 billion for efforts to destroy conventional weapons stockpiles and locate and apprehend weapons of mass destruction.
Today's ad comes after Obama announced cooperation with Lugar on another initiative: the Indiana Republican's bill, introduced today with Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), to triple non-military aid to Pakistan. Obama and Lugar serve together on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where Lugar sits as ranking member. Lugar has endorsed John McCain for president.
Barack Obama will announce today that he is co-sponsoring legislation with Sens. Joe Biden (D-Del.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) that would triple non-military U.S. aid to Pakistan.
Obama will highlight his support for the bill, which will be unveiled this morning, in a speech today on national security.
"We must expect more of the Pakistani government, but we must offer more than a blank check to a General who has lost the confidence of his people," Obama states in excerpts pre-released by the campaign. "It
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Barack Obama will lay out his priorities for U.S. national security tomorrow in a speech in Washington, DC.
Obama will outline strategies for withdrawing from Iraq, "finishing the fight" in Afghanistan, and "pursuing our broader strategic objectives in the world," the campaign announced today.
The Illinois senator has recently taken heat from critics who have alleged a flip-flop on Iraq, after Obama said he may withdraw troops at a slower pace, depending on safety concerns for U.S. soldiers, than the 16-month timeline he has forwarded throughout the campaign. The Obama campaign denied the flip-flop, arguing the senator had always said he would listen to U.S. military commanders in implementing his withdrawal policy.
Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) took aim at John McCain over Iraq Monday, saying the Arizona senator and longtime military officer's Iraq policy fails to understand the reality of the situation.
Biden said McCain has a "total lack of understanding" and "no notion of what is going on" in Iraq.
"I don't understand anything about John's policy here," Biden said during a conference call with reporters. "I don't know what he is talking about except more of the same."
Biden said McCain's Iraq policy would "prevent" the US military from fighting resurgent al Qaeda and Taliban forces in Afghanistan and shows no "larger strategy" to fight terrorism beyond Iraq's border.
In an op-ed in Monday's New York Times, Obama called for a 16 month phased redeployment out of Iraq to free up troops to fight resurgent Taliban and al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan.
Biden called Obama's plan "profoundly right" and said it is "more in line with what our military needs are and what our military thinks."
Barack Obama outlined his views on Iraq in an op-ed published in today's New York Times, saying the United States should seize on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's call for a withdrawal timetable.
The prime minister's call "presents an enormous opportunity," Obama writes. "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."
Obama called attention to Army Lt. Gen. James Dubik's prediction that Iraq's army and police forces would be fully manned and operational by mid-2009. Dubik is the top U.S. military official charged with training Iraq's security forces.
The Illinois senator highlighted policy differences between himself and John McCain, and said the reasons he initially opposed the so-called "surge" still hold true: strain on the U.S. military, not enough resources dedicated to Afghanistan, and a failure by Iraqis to reach political accommodation.
Withdrawing combat brigades in 16 months--Obama's longtime schedule for removing troops--would not be a "precipitous withdrawal," Obama said, pointing out that residual forces would be able to carry out missions against al-Qaeda.
John McCain had pointed words for Iran when asked by NBC's Brian Williams Wednesday for his reaction to Iran's missile test.
"Hopefully, that this event will serve as a catalyst that will finally gel all of the different factors that have been out there that will allow us then to act with our friends and allies in a most effective fashion and modify Iranian behavior," McCain said. "But we cannot allow a second holocaust."
Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei had suggested that the missile tests were warnings to the United States and Israel not to attack the Islamic country over its nuclear program.
As John McCain and Barack Obama flesh out their stances on a wide range of issues this summer, their positions on Iraq separate them most drastically in voters' minds, Rasmussen found.
Americans overwhelmingly say Iraq is the top priority for both candidates, and their goals for Iraq policy are diametrically opposed.
According to Rasmussen, 76 percent of voters think McCain's top priority will be ensuring victory in Iraq; among Democrats, meanwhile, 78 percent think Obama's top priority will be withdrawal.
Barack Obama said Wednesday the threat posed by Iran is "real" and "grave" and promised that if he is elected president he will "do everything in my power to eliminate that threat". He also said the first steps must be diplomatic.
Obama, reacting to news that Iran had successfully test-fired a missile capable of hitting Israel, said the tests "demonstrate once again that we need to change our policy to deal aggressively with the threat posed by the Iranian regime."
"Through its nuclear program, missile capability, meddling in Iraq, support for terrorism, and threats against Israel, Iran now poses the greatest strategic challenge to the United States in the region in a generation. Now is the time to work with our friends and allies, and to pursue direct and aggressive diplomacy with the Iranian regime backed by tougher unilateral and multilateral sanctions. It's time to offer the Iranians a clear choice between increased costs for continuing their troubling behavior, and concrete incentives that would come if they change course," Obama said
"As these tests have reaffirmed, the threat from Iran's nuclear program is real and it is grave. As President, I will do everything in my power to eliminate that threat, and that must begin with direct, aggressive, and sustained diplomacy."
Barack Obama says he is willing to "refine" his policies on withdrawing from Iraq after meeting with military commanders during his planned trip to Iraq later this month, The Caucus is reporting.
Obama has pledged to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of taking office, the plan outlined on his website.
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