Posted on 09/15/2008 2:03:51 AM PDT by Enchante
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."
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Just caught this news! How reliable is the N.Y. Post?
Well part of this was actually reported on in June, before Obama even went to Iraq, and in Obama’s words. So it’s on the public record (on NY Times website even) that Obama was advocating delaying the Status of Forces Agreement until the next admin. So it doesn’t seem like he can deny everything, although he can say “this is no secret, I said it openly in June”....
However, if he did in fact put any pressure on in private meetings with Iraqi FM, other Iraqi officials, General Petraeus, et al to serve his political ends then that is a bigger issue. Of course, I think what he was already on the record as saying in June was over the line interference in current ongoing negotiations, and I suspect per Taheri that he went further in trying to pressure officials in private sessions while he was in Iraq. Let’s remember that when Obama went to Iraq on his “World Victory Tour” he and his cult thought the election was pretty much in the bag, and he very likely took a stronger line with Iraqi officials and General Petraeus, as in “Look, folks, I, Obama, WILL be the next US President, and here is how I want you to behave for the next 6 months.....” Just my speculation of course, but it fits with Taheri’s article and with everything we know of the hubristic egomaniacal reckless Barack Hussein Obama.
[NY Times blog discussing Obama’s remarks on June 16, 2008, hat-tip to flyfree and Democracy Project]:
see #335 and link to
it was reported at the time.
While the Bush administration would like to see an agreement reached before the summer’s political conventions, Mr. Obama said today that he opposed such a timetable.
“My concern is that the Bush administration, in a weakened state politically, ends up trying to rush an agreement that in some ways might be binding to the next administration, whether it’s my administration or Senator McCain’s administration,” Mr. Obama said.
http://www.democracy-project.com/archives/003844.html
335 posted on Monday, September 15, 2008 8:49:38 AM by flyfree (Biden is no Palin and Obama is no McCain)
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Obama is denying it...which is interesting. It is possible that his campaign knows he has crossed some kind of legal as well as moral code. I have not seen a statement in print yet, but FoxNews reported that Obama has denied the whole thing. Now that Obama is on record denying this, expect the story to kick into high gear in the coming week.
Is the Foreign Minister sure it was Obama...sure sounds like something Kerry would do...just askin'.
Where can I get that sticker?
please see #463 and #335
Obama can’t deny it completely b/c of what he already said publicly in June — his own stance WAS/IS to delay Status of Forces Agreement until new administration and to extend UN mandate.
However, IF anything can be established to support Taheri’s report that Obama was exerting pressure on officials while in Iraq then that is the real, direct interference in ongoing negotiations..... though of course the MSM will try to ignore or minimize it. We need the FM or Petraeus or others to confirm something. Petraeus is in a bind b/c he has to stay out of the politics of it, but a spokesman could confirm or deny factual details, perhaps.
Who knows - maybe Taheri had a video or audio recording going on.
Now I need to read the post so I know exactly what this thread is about. I heard a bit about this on early am radio.
If true, does this rise to the level of TREASON? After all, he’s a 2 term Senator, not a head of state or w/the state dept.
Nice. And so stolen.
TREASON. That's my call.
Do CODE PINKERS luv Barack Obama more than they hate war? That is the question?
Big question: did Obama's remarks in June both in public and to the Iraqi FM help to block/delay SOF negotiations this past summer, which the Bush admin. had sought to conclude before the political conventions and the run-up to the elections? Maybe (it seems that) Obama is ALREADY on record blocking/interfering with highly sensitive and critical negotiations....??
Obama also advocated extending UN mandate which expires at end of this year. So real question is whether he used his visit to personally "lobby" Iraqi officials and General Petraeus to do what he is already on the record wanting.......
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NY Times blog reported on Obama's remarks of June 16, 2008
"As Mr. Obama arrived in Michigan for a campaign stop on the economy, he shared details of his morning telephone call with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. On Sunday, Mr. Zebari had a face-to-face meeting with Senator John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee."
"Among the issues being discussed with the two presidential candidates is the long-term security accord between Iraq and the United States. While the Bush administration would like to see an agreement reached before the summer’s political conventions, Mr. Obama said today that he opposed such a timetable."
“My concern is that the Bush administration, in a weakened state politically, ends up trying to rush an agreement that in some ways might be binding to the next administration, whether it’s my administration or Senator McCain’s administration,” Mr. Obama said. “The foreign minister agreed that the next administration should not be bound by an agreement that’s currently made.”
Ping. Barack Obama’s big adventure to Iraq.
Isn’t this beyond The Logan Act if it’s about an ongoing war? Why not treason?
Actually, he’s a less than 1-term US Senator who started running for President barely a year into his rookie term.
As for treason or even just Logan Act charges, those ought to be possibilities but won’t be, I’m sure. No one gets charged for treason anymore and the Logan Act hasn’t been used since it was passed more than two centuries ago. So although it’s fun to think of Obama being charged, it just won’t happen, IMHO.
No, our focus should be on the “political” price that Obama needs to pay for this outrageous malfeasance. The only chance to make him face “punishment” is in the political arena.
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