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Politics : Liberalism: Do You Agree We've Had Enough of It? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ManyMoose who wrote (34835)	7/15/2008 4:47:54 PM
From: Ann Corrigan	Respond to of 224748

Unbelievable..BO says Iraq is a DISTRACTION: Obama calls Iraq war a 'dangerous distraction' Story Highlights NEW: Barack Obama says more emphasis must be placed on Afghanistan Obama expected to travel to Iraq this summer John McCain criticizes Obama for detailing strategy before visiting on the ground (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama on Tuesday called the war in Iraq a "dangerous distraction," and said more emphasis must be placed on the battle in Afghanistan. Sen. Barack Obama said he would take the country in a new direction, should he become president. "As should have been apparent to President Bush and Sen. [John] McCain -- the central front in the war on terror is not Iraq, and it never was," Obama said in what his campaign called a major policy address on Iraq, Afghanistan and national security. Obama said part of his new strategy will be "taking the fight to al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan." Shortly after Obama's speech, McCain attacked the Illinois senator's opposition to the surge policy in Iraq and highlighted his own proposal for victory in Afghanistan. Read what McCain says about Obama's plan "Sen. Obama is departing soon on a trip abroad that will include a fact-finding mission to Iraq and Afghanistan. And I note that he is speaking today about his plans for Iraq and Afghanistan before he has even left, before he has talked to Gen. [David] Petraeus, before he has seen the progress in Iraq, and before he has set foot in Afghanistan for the first time," McCain said. "In my experience, fact-finding missions usually work best the other way around: first you assess the facts on the ground, then you present a new strategy." Obama said on his first day in office he would give the military a new mission -- ending the war in Iraq. Pointing to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's recent call for a timetable, Obama said "now is the time for a responsible redeployment of our combat troops that pushes Iraq's leaders toward a political solution, rebuilds our military, and refocuses on Afghanistan and our broader security interests." Obama said he planned to remove combat brigades from Iraq by the summer of 2010. He also said he would send at least two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan. Obama's speech, given at The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, comes one day after he detailed his plan for Iraq in a New York Times op-ed. Sources familiar with Obama's plans said the candidate will travel to the war-torn country later this month with two Senate colleagues, Republican Chuck Hagel and Democrat Jack Reed. "This war distracts us from every threat that we face and so many opportunities we could seize. This war diminishes our security, our standing in the world, our military, our economy, and the resources that we need to confront the challenges of the 21st century," he said. Obama has faced accusations that he has shifted his policy on Iraq. Earlier this month, he told reporters questioning his stance that he will "continue to refine" his policies as warranted. That prompted Republicans to say that he's shying away from his proposed 16-month phased withdrawal of all combat troops from Iraq. Obama insists that he's been consistent on Iraq. McCain does not think American troops should return to the United States until Iraqi forces are capable of maintaining a safe, democratic state. He has been a strong advocate of the "surge" -- the 2007 escalation of U.S. troops -- and says troops should stay in Iraq as long as needed. McCain says Obama is wrong for opposing the increased troop presence, and Obama says McCain's judgment is flawed. A new Washington Post-ABC poll shows that the country is split between those backing Obama's timeline for withdrawal and those who agree with McCain's stance that events should determine how troops are handled.