Obama Plans Meetings With Leaders in Mideast, Europe

Republicans have painted Sen. Barack Obama as a man inexperienced in national security. Meetings with foreign leaders may help him battle his critics. (By Linda Davidson -- The Washington Post)
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Obama's stated policy would be to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq soon after being sworn in as president and to have all combat forces out within about 16 months, leaving behind a residual force. What is not clear is how he would act if there were a spike in violence there early in his presidency or as U.S. forces were being withdrawn.

Earlier this month, Obama spoke with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, who later told Washington Post editors and reporters that Obama indicated to him that a Democratic administration "will not take any irresponsible, reckless, sudden decisions or action to endanger your gains, your achievements, your stability or security."

McCain, who has visited Iraq repeatedly since the war was launched, has pressed Obama to visit Iraq, arguing that his rival will see firsthand that the "surge" policy that he supported and that Obama opposed has been a success. At one point, McCain suggested that the two candidates travel together. Obama rejected that idea, saying he did not want to be part of a "political stunt."

McCain staked his candidacy on the troop buildup and now hopes to reap political dividends in the face of evidence that it has helped reduce violence and U.S. casualties. Speaking at the same Latino forum yesterday, McCain declared, "We're winning in Iraq, and we'll withdraw, but we'll withdraw with victory and honor."

McDonough said Obama's view of the troop buildup is that, while it has reduced violence, it has failed to bring about the political reconciliation that was part of Bush's stated objective. "We have not seen a commensurate amount of political progress from the Iraqi leaders," he said.

Obama also may use the contents of a new report from the Government Accountability Office, which while acknowledging a reduction in violence, painted a far more downbeat portrait of Iraq's future than a Pentagon reported released around the same time.

There is another factor that could potentially come into play as Obama deepens his Iraq policy: his newfound alliance with Clinton and his move to incorporate her foreign policy advisers into his team. In trying to unite the party, Obama has described his differences with Clinton as negligible.

"If you look at my positions and Senator Clinton's, there's not a lot of difference, which is why it's so easy for advisers, senior advisers of Senator Clinton, to support my candidacy," Obama said at a meeting of his new working group on national security earlier this month.