Posted on 09/15/2008 2:58:55 PM PDT by johncocktoasten
FLINT, Mich. – Senator Barack Obama said today he intends to visit Iraq and Afghanistan before the November election.
Mr. Obama, who spoke to the Iraqi foreign minister by telephone this morning, said he was “encouraged” by the reductions in violence in Iraq. But he said the United States still must begin gradually withdrawing troops, at a pace of one to two brigades a month, with a goal of removing most combat troops in 16 months.
“We have no interest in permanent bases in Iraq,” Mr. Obama said. “I gave him an assurance that should we be elected, an Obama administration will make sure that we continue with the progress that’s been made in Iraq – that we won’t act precipitously, but that we will move to end U.S. combat forces in Iraq.”
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.”
Mr. Obama, who has not been to Iraq for more than two years, told the New York Times last month that he intended to visit Iraq. His comments today after talking to Mr. Zebari underscored that desire, saying: “I told him that I look forward to seeing him in Baghdad.”
Late last month, Mr. McCain invited Mr. Obama to embark on a joint trip to Iraq, a gesture that Mr. Obama dismissed as a political stunt. The Republican National Committee started a clock, keeping track of the days it has been since Mr. Obama’s visit in January 2006.
“In the nearly 900 days since Barack Obama visited Iraq, the facts on the ground have changed dramatically – but his ideologically-driven position has not,” said Alex Conant, a Republican spokesman. “When Obama visits Iraq, he’ll see that he was wrong to oppose the surge, wrong to continue to ignore our commanders’ advice and wrong to demand premature withdrawal.”
Today, Mr. Obama did not say specifically when he intended to take his foreign trip.
“You know, we’ll make an announcement about that,” he said. “But as I said, I’m interested in visiting Iraq and Afghanistan before the election.”
(Excerpt) Read more at thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com ...
And today the NYSlimes called for Rangle to step down temporarily or if he refuses for Nancy Pelosi to permanently remove him.
Sometimes the Slimes gets it right, even if for the wrong reasons.
And today the NYSlimes called for Rangle to step down temporarily or if he refuses for Nancy Pelosi to permanently remove him.
Sometimes the Slimes gets it right, even if for the wrong reasons.
John Kerry met with the Viet Cong govt to negotiate a peace settlement without the permission of the U.S. govt. He was never prosecuted.
In fact, Adam Gadahn is the first person charged with treason by the U.S. govt in over 50 years. Why is that? Why is our govt so slow to move on these open and shut overt cases of treason?
Ping
If the meeting was closed, absent a video tape, this can’t really be more than he said, she said.
Who do you believe..... a Presidential Messiah or an Iraqi Minister?
Did you read the footnote at the end of the section that says MoC are excluded? The source is neither me nor Wiki.
Read it and then come back and apologize to me for that slashing act. You were wrong and out of line.
The MSNBC version from June is even more damning, because it mentions Obama’s desire to postpone things until after the election, which I didn’t see quite so clearly here.
See http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2083101/posts
Can I borrow your towel? My car just hit a water buffalo.
§ 953. Private correspondence with foreign governments.Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
This section shall not abridge the right of a citizen to apply himself, or his agent, to any foreign government, or the agents thereof, for redress of any injury which he may have sustained from such government or any of its agents or subjects.
1 Stat. 613, January 30, 1799, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 953 (2004).
Bravo, Jim!
o
They can go for fact finding etc. They cannot negotiate. This certainly seems like an under the table negotiation.
That complete, utter, TERMINALLY STUPID B@STARD!
Obama would say it's RACIST to investigate him for breaking the law.
A couple of things:
1) Why wasn’t this a huge deal when it happened in June?
2) What exactly is the big deal with regards to what’s stated in this article?
3) How is this anywhere near as outrageous as that SOB trying to stall troop reductions for his own political gain?
Not being a smart-ass at all, I’m trying to get a good handle on this treasonous prick.
Way more proven ones than the phony ones he tries accusing Sarah Palin of doing.
Where does it say that members of Congress are excluded from the Logan Act?
There's some discussion about a trip made by McGovern & Sparkman in 1975, but their trip was pre-approved by the State Department.
It’s really pretty simple. The Demwads have inserted their butthole buddies into the Dept. of State, CIA, FBI, every staff office in the Senate, the US Forest Service, The department of the Interior.... need I go on?
They want to destroy the Country. The Communists in the 30’s and 40’s were quite deceptive and clever.
They have permeated every institution of the United States of America, they have permeated our Constitution in an attempt to destroy it.. so far they have succeeded.
NOW is the time to FIGHT BACK.
Obambi needs to go down in November in a Big Way.
Work for it.
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