In Iraq, Affection for Obama ... but His Proposal?

[Pirate Smile]

Source: New York Times


Nassir al-Hiti, an Iraqi general, said Iraqis “would be very happy” to see Barack Obama elected president, but called Mr. Obama’s withdrawal plan “very difficult.”

BAGHDAD — A tough Iraqi general, a former special operations officer with a baritone voice and a barrel chest, melted into smiles when asked about Senator Barack Obama.

“Everyone in Iraq likes him,” said the general, Nassir al-Hiti. “I like him. He’s young. Very active. We would be very happy if he was elected president.”

But mention Mr. Obama’s plan for withdrawing American soldiers, and the general stiffens.
“Very difficult,” he said, shaking his head. “Any army would love to work without any help, but let me be honest: for now, we don’t have that ability.”
Thus in a few brisk sentences, the general summed up the conflicting emotions about Mr. Obama in Iraq, the place outside America with perhaps the most riding on its relationship with him.

There was, as Mr. Obama prepared to visit here, excitement over a man who is the anti-Bush in almost every way: a Democrat who opposed a war that many Iraqis feel devastated their nation. And many in the political elite recognize that Mr. Obama shares their hope for a more rapid withdrawal of American forces from Iraq.

But his support for troop withdrawal cuts both ways, reflecting a deep internal quandary in Iraq: for many middle-class Iraqis, affection for Mr. Obama is tempered by worry that his proposal could lead to chaos in a nation already devastated by war. Many Iraqis also acknowledge that security gains in recent months were achieved partly by the buildup of American troops, which Mr. Obama opposed and his presumptive Republican opponent, Senator John McCain, supported.





Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/world/middleeast/17voices.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[gateley]

1. And somehow this good General, too, has been led to believe

that Obama will leave his people high and dry. That's a shame. I hope they will get a chance to hear from Obama himself what his plans are, and to see that he's not the kind of person who will cut and run.

[Kolesar]

10. We could always install General Nassir Al-Hiti as head of the Bath party & start drilling

I have the president of Halliburton on line 1.
:sarcasm:

[MercutioATC]

2. Our troops get three months of training to go to a foreign country to defend it.

Iraq (assuming a redeployment of U.S. troops 16 months after Obama becomes President) will have had over seven years.

Seven years...that's 84 months...and they're not traveling thousands of miles to fight in a country with different customs and language...it's their own friggin' country.


I'm not feeling any sympathy here.

[sandnsea]

3. We've had troops join

train, and get discharged by now.

[JDPriestly]

8. It's way past time for the Iraqis to step up to the plate and police themselves.

The war was one years ago. We are simply occupying the place. To the extent that we are holding up a weak government that is not representing its people, our remaining is a waste of time. Our staying longer will not bring warring Iraqi factions together. They have to have the political determination to heal their own wounds and cooperate and share with each other. If they are not really a nation, so be it, let them break apart.

[Tutonic]

4. The New York TImes is Dead. Thank Reverend Moon for this.

Assassinate the character of Barack Obama. For what? So that Maureen Dowd and William "Ruby Red Lips" Kristol can gleefully dance around the carcass? The NYTimes deserves the fate that it has inherited--to die a slow and seemingly pointless death. So they found one Iraqi soldier with a view that probably differs from 99% of the Iraqi troops. What is it about Obama that these so called media stars really dislike?

[flamingdem]

5. Do you mean the Washington Times?

The NYT was not purchased by the Moonies, well I hope not!

[Tutonic]

6. Is there any difference between the New York Times and the

Washington Times? He doesn't need to purchase the New York Times--they've succumbed to his style of journalism without any provocation. Thank Reverend Moon for that.

[WhiteTara]

7. wonder where he was for the Maliki speech

you know the one...they want a timetable.

This looks like a pr piece from the bowels of the white house

[DCKit]

9. Obama's going there to find out what's going on, not to lecture.

The article is biased. But they (and the WH) will get theirs when he comes back and starts talking about what he "learned" while there and reinforces the idea that we need to spend more time talking *to* foreign governments and less time dictating *at* them.

Heads are going to be exploding at the WH.