Sun shines on Obama's Iraq debut

[cal04]

By Patrick Cockburn
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/sun-shines-on-obamas-iraq-debut-872826.html

Barack Obama arrives in Iraq just as the political situation there is turning in his favour. The Iraqi government is for the first time asking for a timetable for a military withdrawal of United States forces.

This is in keeping with the Democratic presidential nominee's plan for a pull-out of American combat troops over 16 months and makes the strategy of his Republican rival, John McCain, to retain US troops in Iraq until all America's opponents are vanquished, look out of date.

Mr Obama, like other official visitors to Baghdad, will not see anything of Iraq outside the Green Zone or heavily protected US bases. But he will learn that the political landscape of Iraq has changed considerably over the past six months, though not necessarily to the advantage of the US.

The most important development is that the Iraqi state has become stronger. Its security forces number more than half-a-million men. Thanks to the soaring price of crude, its oil revenues could total $150bn (£75bn) next year. In a series of offensives between March and May, it regained control of territory previously controlled by the Shia militia, the Mehdi Army, in Basra, Sadr City, in Baghdad, and Amara province the south.

[Cha]

1. Good because the sun hasn't been

shining on Iraq for a long time.

[paparush]

2. Obama - Bringing hope to the world.

After 8 years of Bush/Cheney..the world is in a serious funk.