Senator Obama has supported these two very crucial issues for over a year, and now the administration is moving in the very direction Obama has advocated. He'll be just fine vis-a-vis foreign policy.
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Senator Obama called for US troop timed withdrawals months ago and the reaction was that he wanted to surrender.
Bush, Maliki, agree on US troop cut 'time horizon'
TUCSON, Arizona (AFP) — US President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki have agreed to set a "time horizon" for US troop withdrawals as part of a long-term security pact, the White House said Friday.
But any reduction in the US force presence "would be based on continued improving conditions on the ground and not an arbitrary date for withdrawal," spokeswoman Dana Perino said in a statement.
The two leaders, speaking by videoconference on Thursday, also settled on a "common way forward" in stumbling talks to craft a long-term pact governing diplomatic ties and the US military presence, said Perino.
Washington says the agreement is necessary to lay out the ground rules for US forces that will still operate in the war-torn country after the UN mandate for their presence expires at year's end.
But the talks have sputtered over the Baghdad government's demands for a timetable for US troops to withdraw as well as Washington's demands that its soldiers and other staff be immune from Iraqi prosecution.
Months ago, Senator Obama said we should negotiate with Iran. The opposition said he was naive. Heh.
US plans to station diplomats in Iran for first time since 1979
Washington move signals thaw in relations
The US plans to establish a diplomatic presence in Tehran for the first time in 30 years as part of a remarkable turnaround in policy by President George Bush.
The Guardian has learned that an announcement will be made in the next month to establish a US interests section - a halfway house to setting up a full embassy. The move will see US diplomats stationed in the country.
The news of the shift by Bush who has pursued a hawkish approach to Iran throughout his tenure comes at a critical time in US-Iranian relations. After weeks that have seen tensions rise with Israel conducting war games and Tehran carrying out long-range missile tests, a thaw appears to be under way.
The White House announced yesterday that William Burns, a senior state department official, is to be sent to Switzerland on Saturday to hear Tehran's response to a European offer aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff.
2 comments:
On withdrawal: Months ago, it was not feasible to withdraw. It is now. We all knew it was getting closer to the time where we could begin pulling out. It's knowing when to start proposing it that matters.
On Iran: I don't know, you don't know, and I'm betting Obama doesn't know what changed. But whatever changed, I suspect it will come to light that it was because of our actions over the past few years.
We'll see if Obama was right once all the facts are out. But I surspect you'll be disappointed.
The GOP loves to slam Obama's experience issue but fail to acknowledge the experience that matters most right now with Iran.
Obama worked with Dick Lugar on a nuclear proliferation law which gives him experience to deal with Iran where the biggest issue is, nuclear proliferation.
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