Obama Says Encouraged By Drop In Violence In Iraq

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: NYT/Reuters

By REUTERS
Published: June 16, 2008

FLINT, Michigan (Reuters) - U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Monday he was encouraged by a reduction in violence in Iraq but underlined his support for a pullout of U.S. troops.

Obama, who secured the Democratic party nomination earlier this month and will run in November against Republican John McCain, said he spoke about improved security conditions in Iraq during a telephone conversation with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari.

"I emphasized to him how encouraged I was by the reductions in violence in Iraq but also insisted that it is important for us to begin the process of withdrawing U.S. troops, making it clear that we have no interest in permanent bases in Iraq," Obama told reporters at the airport in Flint, where he had just arrived for an event on the economy....

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The first-term Illinois senator said he told Zebari that if he wins the White House, "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 he said it was important to begin a withdrawal of troops to send a signal that the U.S. occupation of Iraq "is finite."

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-usa-politics-obama-iraq.html?_r=1&oref=login

[anonymous171]

1. Makes sense. The positive reports only bolster Obama's claim.

"If everything is fine and running smoothly, why not just leave?"

[EVDebs]

2. Permanent bases in Iraq only fuel the insurgency

Besides, they cost how many billions ? money that goes to Halliburton, Bechtel, Blackwater, etc., and gets offshored and un-taxed...