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TAHERI ARTICLE ON OBAMA INTERFERENCE IN WITHDRAWAL CORROBORATED BY NY TIMES 6/18/08
New York Times ^ | 6/18/2008 | Jeff Zeleny

Posted on Monday, September 15, 2008 2:58:55 PM by johncocktoasten

Edited on Monday, September 15, 2008 4:59:29 PM by Jim Robinson. [history]

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.”