Obama: Troop surge not solution to Iraq
3:30 PM
By Dan GearinoLee Des Moines Bureau | Posted: Tuesday, December 18, 2007
DES MOINES -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Tuesday that the troop surge in Iraq isn't necessarily succeeding.
Speaking in Des Moines, he said the gains from the increase in troop levels have done little to defuse the region's underlying conflicts.
"The surge is not the solution to Iraq's problems because it is not achieving the political accommodations and benchmarks that were the stated purpose of our troop increase," Obama said.
His comments, part of a speech on foreign policy, come at a time when military leaders and media reports indicate violence is down in Iraq. The situation is being greeted by supporters of the war as a sign that the tide is turning in favor of American interests.
Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, said Iraq has distracted from the war on terrorism and the related war in Afghanistan. He proposed withdrawing troops from Iraq and increasing the military and economic commitment to Afghanistan.
"Six years after we took our eye off the ball in Afghanistan -- the origin of the 9-11 attacks -- we still don't have our priorities straight," he said.
Prior to Obama's arrival, his campaign held a policy roundtable with some of the candidate's advisers and supporters. The events were an attempt to rebut one of the greatest criticisms of Obama by his rivals, that he doesn't have enough experience on foreign policy.
Anthony Lake, former national security advisor to President Clinton, said Obama will succeed on the world stage because he is straightforward, without needless posturing.
"I think we need to return to the politics of authenticity," Lake said.
SIOUX CITY ADD: Another panelist, State Sen. Steve Warnstadt of Sioux City said Obama has the good sense to know that military force shouldn't be the first option. Warnstadt is a member of the Iowa Army National Guard.
"I need to know I have the commander-in-chief who will deploy those forces wisely," he said.
Speaking in Des Moines, he said the gains from the increase in troop levels have done little to defuse the region's underlying conflicts.
"The surge is not the solution to Iraq's problems because it is not achieving the political accommodations and benchmarks that were the stated purpose of our troop increase," Obama said.
His comments, part of a speech on foreign policy, come at a time when military leaders and media reports indicate violence is down in Iraq. The situation is being greeted by supporters of the war as a sign that the tide is turning in favor of American interests.
Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, said Iraq has distracted from the war on terrorism and the related war in Afghanistan. He proposed withdrawing troops from Iraq and increasing the military and economic commitment to Afghanistan.
"Six years after we took our eye off the ball in Afghanistan -- the origin of the 9-11 attacks -- we still don't have our priorities straight," he said.
Prior to Obama's arrival, his campaign held a policy roundtable with some of the candidate's advisers and supporters. The events were an attempt to rebut one of the greatest criticisms of Obama by his rivals, that he doesn't have enough experience on foreign policy.
Anthony Lake, former national security advisor to President Clinton, said Obama will succeed on the world stage because he is straightforward, without needless posturing.
"I think we need to return to the politics of authenticity," Lake said.
SIOUX CITY ADD: Another panelist, State Sen. Steve Warnstadt of Sioux City said Obama has the good sense to know that military force shouldn't be the first option. Warnstadt is a member of the Iowa Army National Guard.
"I need to know I have the commander-in-chief who will deploy those forces wisely," he said.
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AlGored wrote on Dec 19, 2007 12:24 AM: