Obama’s negotiations with Iraq

Obama’s negotiations with Iraq September 17, 2008

Barack Obama, who apparently considers himself president-in-waiting, has been conducting negotiations with Iraq designed to DELAY the agreement for our troop withdrawal! So reports the New York Post:

WHILE campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence.

According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Obama made his demand for delay a key theme of his discussions with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in July.

“He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington,” Zebari said in an interview.

Obama insisted that Congress should be involved in negotiations on the status of US troops – and that it was in the interests of both sides not to have an agreement negotiated by the Bush administration in its “state of weakness and political confusion.”

“However, as an Iraqi, I prefer to have a security agreement that regulates the activities of foreign troops, rather than keeping the matter open.” Zebari says.

Is there ANY WAY this is appropriate?

The Obama campaign denounced the story:

Obama’s national security spokeswoman Wendy Morigi said Taheri’s article bore “as much resemblance to the truth as a McCain campaign commercial.”

In fact, Obama had told the Iraqis that they should not rush through a “Strategic Framework Agreement” governing the future of US forces until after President George W. Bush leaves office, she said.

I KNOW. THAT’S WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT! Foreign policy and the conduct of our nation’s wars are the responsibility of the President. It is just wrong for a Senator to inject himself into these important negotiations and try to block them even if he is running for president.

HT and for commentary: Power Line

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