The Iraqis reject Obama's plans to withdraw.
The Iraqis do not know Obama has a problem with foreign policy competence.
Iraq: PM Not Endorsing Obama Timeframe on Troop Withdrawal - America’s Election HQ
by FOXNews.com
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has not endorsed any specific timeframe for possible U.S. troops withdrawals, a government spokesman said Sunday.
The statement by Ali al-Dabbagh came after an article was published by Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine which quoted al-Maliki as favoring the 16-month withdrawal window proposed by Barack Obama.
The article quoted al-Maliki as saying “U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes.”
Al-Dabbagh said al-Maliki’s views were “misunderstood and mistranslated” by Der Spiegel and that the prime minister backs a general vision of pulling out U.S. combat forces based on talks with Washington “and in the light of the continuing positive developments on the ground.”
Al-Dabbagh said statements by al-Maliki or any members of the Iraqi government “should not be understood as support to any U.S. presidential candidates.”
The al-Maliki comments that were published came ahead of Obama’s scheduled meeting with the leader. Obama, who is touring both Afghanistan and Iraq for the first time since becoming a presidential candidate, arrived Saturday in Afghanistan, where he is meeting with U.S. troops.
The report from the magazine gave Obama fuel in his argument that U.S. involvement in Iraq soon must draw to a close.
Al-Maliki had reportedly told the magazine that his comments were “by no means an election endorsement.”
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