Obama acknowledges the success of Presdient Bush in Iraq:
Iraq, Obama Pushes for Political Solutions
APRIL 8, 2009 In
By JONATHAN WEISMAN IN ISTANBUL and YOCHI J. DREAZEN IN WASHINGTON
President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to Baghdad, which has been rocked by a spate of recent bombings, to urge the leaders of Iraq's feuding sectarian factions to find "political solutions" to their disputes.
His daylong trip came at a pivotal moment for the U.S.-led war effort, which will begin winding down later this year. At least 12,000 American troops will leave Iraq in the next six months, part of the administration's move to withdraw all U.S. combat forces from Iraq by August 2010. The remaining American forces are slated to leave by the end of 2011.
Some U.S. officials in Baghdad and Washington worry that a series of unresolved political disputes -- including the fates of tens of thousands of Sunni militiamen and the limits of Kurdish self-rule -- could spark violence as Iraq's competing factions work to secure their positions ahead of the American withdrawal. Two bloody days of attacks in Baghdad have raised concern that a declining U.S. troop count -- coupled with new fiscal constraints forced on Iraq by lower oil prices -- could make it tough to counter any new upswing in violence.
Just hours before Mr. Obama touched down in Iraq, a car bomb in a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad killed at least nine people and wounded 18. On Monday, six car bombs in and around Baghdad killed a total of 33 people.
In recent weeks, Iraqi soldiers have waged gun battles in the streets of Baghdad with Sunni fighters from the U.S.-backed "Awakening Council" militias that helped to restore order to the country in 2007 and 2008. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has also been embroiled in an escalating dispute with Kurdish leaders over the final status of the contested, oil-rich city of Kirkuk.
During his time at Camp Victory, a sprawling U.S. base near Baghdad's airport, Mr. Obama met with Mr. Maliki and said he "strongly encouraged" the Iraqi leader to calm sectarian tensions. Mr. Obama also conferred with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, U.S. officials said.
Mr. Obama entered the gaudy Rotunda Room of Saddam Hussein's former Al Faw Presidential Palace on the Camp Victory grounds to the strains of "Hail to the Chief" just after 6 p.m. Tuesday, Baghdad time. Troops snapped pictures and cheered. One soldier shouted, "Love you."
"Under enormous strain and under enormous sacrifice, through controversy and difficulty and politics, you've kept your eyes focused on just doing your job," Mr. Obama told the troops.
The next year and a half "could be a critical period," he said. "It is time for us to transfer to the Iraqis. They need to take responsibility for their country."
In a joint appearance later, Mr. Maliki told reporters that he shared Mr. Obama's call for political solutions to the country's problems. "Dialogue should be the only way to resolve any issue, whether it was between the Iraqi society components or in the region," the Iraqi leader said.
Mr. Obama's visit comes at an important time for Mr. Maliki. Little more than a year ago, he was being criticized by Iraqis and some U.S. officials as a weak, sectarian leader. But Mr. Maliki, a Shiite, won over many Iraqis by ordering troops to battle Shiite militias as well as Sunni ones, giving him a new reputation as a strong nationalist.
Though Mr. Obama didn't make it into the city proper, security across checkpoint-clogged Baghdad was significantly tighter than usual, as much because of the recent violence as his visit.
Iraqi politicians acknowledged the visit was as much to boost U.S. troops' morale as to show support for the country's nascent democracy. Still, several said they were encouraged by the clear change in tone from the Bush administration. "Obama wants to change the American method in dealing with other countries," said Usama Al Nujaifi, a member of parliament.
—Baghdad staff of The Wall Street Journal contributed to this article.
Write to Jonathan Weisman at jonathan.weisman@wsj.com and Yochi J. Dreazen at yochi.dreazen@wsj.com |
