Obama begins firsthand look at Baghdad
- added July 21, 2008
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Barack Obama began Monday his first on-the-ground inspection of Iraq since launching his bid for the White House, with U.S. commanders ready to brief him on progress in a war he long opposed and Iraqi leaders wanting more details of his proposals for troop withdrawals.
His stops in Baghdad — and other areas of the country — marked the second major leg of a war zone tour that opened in Afghanistan. The contrasts in tone and message were distinct.
Obama sees the battle against the resurgent Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan as America's most crucial fight and supports expanding troop strength to counter a sharp rise in attacks.
But Obama had stood against the Iraq invasion and now worries that an open-ended U.S. combat mission will sap military resources and focus — at a time when Iraq violence has dropped to its lowest level in four years.
The Illinois senator — traveling in a congressional delegation with Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. — arrived in the country early Monday. Their first stop was Basra, the U.S. Embassy said.
Basra is the center for about 4,000 British troops involved mostly in training Iraqi forces. An Iraqi-led offensive begun in March reclaimed control of most of the city from Shiite militia believed linked to Iran.
Travel plans for the Democratic presidential candidate were kept secret, but he was seen arriving for a meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in the heavily protected Green Zone.
Obama has made no public statements since arriving in Iraq. There was no noticeable tightening of security on Baghdad's streets and inside the Green Zone.
The meetings were expected to include the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, and other military chiefs outlining the significant gains in recent months against both Shiite militia and Sunni insurgents including al-Qaida in Iraq.
The White House and military leaders — and many residents of Baghdad — trace the momentum back to last year's buildup of more than 30,000 troops in areas around Iraq's capital. Obama's challenger, Sen. John McCain, has tried to hammer Obama on his critical remarks before the so-called "surge."
In an interview Monday on ABC's "Good Morning America," McCain said he hoped Obama would now "have the opportunity to see the success of the surge."
His stops in Baghdad — and other areas of the country — marked the second major leg of a war zone tour that opened in Afghanistan. The contrasts in tone and message were distinct.
Obama sees the battle against the resurgent Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan as America's most crucial fight and supports expanding troop strength to counter a sharp rise in attacks.
But Obama had stood against the Iraq invasion and now worries that an open-ended U.S. combat mission will sap military resources and focus — at a time when Iraq violence has dropped to its lowest level in four years.
The Illinois senator — traveling in a congressional delegation with Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. — arrived in the country early Monday. Their first stop was Basra, the U.S. Embassy said.
Basra is the center for about 4,000 British troops involved mostly in training Iraqi forces. An Iraqi-led offensive begun in March reclaimed control of most of the city from Shiite militia believed linked to Iran.
Travel plans for the Democratic presidential candidate were kept secret, but he was seen arriving for a meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in the heavily protected Green Zone.
Obama has made no public statements since arriving in Iraq. There was no noticeable tightening of security on Baghdad's streets and inside the Green Zone.
The meetings were expected to include the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, and other military chiefs outlining the significant gains in recent months against both Shiite militia and Sunni insurgents including al-Qaida in Iraq.
The White House and military leaders — and many residents of Baghdad — trace the momentum back to last year's buildup of more than 30,000 troops in areas around Iraq's capital. Obama's challenger, Sen. John McCain, has tried to hammer Obama on his critical remarks before the so-called "surge."
In an interview Monday on ABC's "Good Morning America," McCain said he hoped Obama would now "have the opportunity to see the success of the surge."
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