Tuesday, March 04, 2008

The Obama-Ahmadinejad virtual joint press conference

 
Dictator and Candidate agree: US must retreat from Iraq to give Iran a chance to fill the power vacuum, dominate the region, and take gasoline to $5 a gallon.

hmadinejad repeatedly referred to Iraq as a "brotherly" neighbor, but showed no gentler side toward Baghdad's American allies. He blamed the United States for spreading terrorism in the region, demanded the United States withdraw its forces and dismissed allegations that Tehran is training Shiite militants who target U.S. troops.

"The presence of foreigners in the region has been to the detriment of the nations of the region," Ahmadinejad said during a news conference. "It is nothing but a humiliation to the regional nations."
The Democratic front-runner, who favors a rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, was asked how he would respond as president if al-Qaida had a resurgence in that country after American troops left... "If al-Qaida is forming a base in Iraq, then we will have to act in a way that secures the American homeland and our interests abroad," he said.

Sen. Obama's answer lacked clarity and directness, but the implication was that he would be willing to send U.S. troops back into Iraq to quell an insurrection by Muslim extremists... Sen. Obama quickly clarified his comments, explaining that he does indeed know al-Qaida is in Iraq. Then he returned to the more familiar ground of anti-war rhetoric. He blamed President Bush and Sen. McCain, who backed the Iraq war resolution, for al-Qaida moving into Iraq.

Put simply, Obama's rhetoric on this topic has shifted as rapidly as his faux repudiation of NAFTA. In an interview with Christopher Wills, Obama stated:

America cannot afford to withdraw immediately, said Obama, an early opponent of invading Iraq. That would create more chaos in Iraq and make it "an extraordinary hotbed of terrorist activity," he said at a meeting of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association. It would also damage America's international prestige and amount to "a slap in the face" to the troops fighting there, he said...

Democratic Senate candidate Barack Obama said Saturday he would be willing to send more soldiers to Iraq [Ed: i.e., a "surge"] if it is part of a strategy that the president and military leaders believe will stabilize the country and eventually allow America to withdraw.

Proof positive that Obama is as shifty as any other politician; his charismatic calls for hope and change ring as flat as Hillary's.

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