Obama says his plan gaining ground

[maddezmom]

Source: boston globe

In his first press conference about his tour of Afghanistan and Iraq, Barack Obama declared today that there is growing support for his plan -- to redeploy US troops from Iraq and ramp up forces in Afghanistan.

Repeating that Afghanistan and the border region with Pakistan represents the "central front in the war on terrorism," he said the United States cannot wait to send more forces there. "The situation in Afghanistan is urgent and perilous," he said, with the historic Citadel overlooking Amman, Jordan as his backdrop.

Both he and Republican rival John McCain are calling for sending thousands more US troops to fight the rebuilding Taliban and remnants of al Qaeda. Afghan President Hamid Karzai also told Obama that more security forces are needed.

In Iraq, Obama said, there is a reduction in violence. But a responsible withdrawal would encourage the Iraqi government to take on more responsibility and reach out to other factions. Iraqi government officials said they supported a withdrawal timetable that is generally in line with Obama's.

"There is security progress. Now we need a political solution," said Obama, flanked by Senators Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican, and Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island.



Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/07/obama_says_his.html

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Premier says Iraq can look after own security - Summary

Berlin - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said Iraq was able to took after its own security and was ready for major foreign investment, after holding talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin Tuesday. "The Iraq of today is not the Iraq of six months ago. We are making great progress in the security situation," al-Maliki said, adding there was now a considerable measure of freedom and democracy in the country.

"Iraq is able to take the security situation into its own hands. We have achieved great success," al-Maliki said.

Merkel said the security situation in Iraq was improving "step by step."

The chancellor said Germany was in a position to offer its technological expertise in return for access to Iraqi resources.

Germany could also offer its experience in creating and maintaining the kind of federal system of government that Iraq was setting up, she said, offering to train civil servants.

more:http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/220660,premier-says-iraq-can-look-after-own-security--summary.html

[THale2]

1. On CNN

David Gergen, Anderson Cooper and Gloria Bourgie were saying that Obama should not have commented on Malaki's statement that it was not his job to negotiate he is Not the POTUS...what did Obama say but he welcomes the idea of Malaki troop withdrawal position...if Malaki agreed with McCain you would have heard about it non-stop all day...in addition they would have asked the question does this mean that Obama is naive when it comes to foreign policy, since the Iraqi government doesn't agree with his position,,,why cant he speak...I sure don't see anyone trying to muzzle McCain....I feel there is bias there...what do you think..

[Tempest]

2. "that it was not his job to negotiate he is Not the POTUS"

Not yet, but it's nice to know what the plan will be WHEN he's elected.

[truthisfreedom]

3. Media bias against Obama?

Fiddlesticks. 8^)

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. All he needs is a flute & green tights. Piping his way deeper into another quagmire

[CountAllVotes]

6. and a bigger f'ng mess

n/t

:kick:

[Winston.]

5. Not Obama's plan...

When a Bush lapdog like general David Patreus parrots "Obama's" plan, you can be sure there has been a shift in position at a higher level, and as we can see the neocons are playing catchup, but how is it that a surge when it's proposed by Patreus and the Bush administration is such a bad thing but when it's proposed by Obama and Patreus it's wonderful ? our partisanship is blinding us to what is really going on.


Used to be that the big three was GM, Ford and Chrysler now it's Oil, War Profiteering and Drugs.

[jody]

7. I expect every Obama supporter to volunteer to fight in Afghanistan, exempt are those of us who've

already served our country in the military.