Obama makes unannounced stop in Baghdad

Obama makes unannounced stop in Baghdad

www.cnn.com

(CNN) -- President Obama made an unannounced visit to Iraq Tuesday.

The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno, met Obama shortly after Air Force One landed in Baghdad about 4:42 p.m. local time (9:42 a.m. ET).

Obama chose to visit Iraq rather than Afghanistan because of its proximity to Turkey, which Obama just visited, said Robert Gibbs, the president's spokesman.

In addition, Obama wanted to discuss Iraq's political situation with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Iraqi President Jalal Talibani, Gibbs said.

Mostly, however, the stop is about Obama visiting troops, he said.

Obama will meet with Odierno and with members of the U.S. military in Iraq. He will participate in the awarding of 10 medals of valor, Gibbs said.


"Our men and women who are in harm's way, either in Iraq or Afghanistan, deserve our utmost respect and appreciation," Gibbs reportedly told reporters traveling on Air Force One.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit: title to same as source]
Headline: Please use the original story headline from your source.

[edit on 7-4-2009 by 12m8keall2c]

I figured he'd take a quick touch down!

Gain a few points in the polls, boost morale, win the hearts and minds of the troops, reassurance he remembers.

plus he was in the neighborhood


[edit on 7-4-2009 by xbranscombex]

[edit: title to same as source]
Headline: Please use the original story headline from your source.

[edit on 7-4-2009 by 12m8keall2c]

shame on you for this topic title (Hussein back in Baghdad). a very low blow.

[edit on 7-4-2009 by ~Lucidity]

Originally posted by ~Lucidity
shame on you for this topic title (Hussein back in Baghdad). a very low blow.

[edit on 7-4-2009 by ~Lucidity]

Funny has left the ATS building.

Please keep responses focused on the Actual topic of discussion.

» Breaking Alternative News » Obama makes unannounced stop in Baghdad » Post Reply

Thank you.

Originally posted by xbranscombex

Originally posted by ~Lucidity
shame on you for this topic title (Hussein back in Baghdad). a very low blow.

[edit on 7-4-2009 by ~Lucidity]

Funny has left the ATS building.

I don't know you, so I don't know if you were really trying to be "funny" or not. But given world tensions and recent smear campaigns (of which you might be unaware ) I'm not so sure how many people would have found this "funny" anyway.

Anyway, now that we have that straight, as for the OP, good for the president...nice of him to stop in.

reply to post by 12m8keall2c


Apologies.

On topic though I think that the reason this was unannounced was because someone was attempting to assassinate Obama in Turkey with a knife!??

He had an al jazeera press pass.

edition.cnn.com...

It explains in the article and it is a good reason for keeping this quiet given how dangerous Iraq is right now.



[edit on 7-4-2009 by XXXN3O]

I don't have a dog in that fight.

I'll just say the man "Obama" Is making the rounds trying to deal with the mess.

Good for him. At least he is getting out in the real world to see the issues first hand and not hiding behind a desk in Washington.
Good for him.


[edit on 7-4-2009 by SLAYER69]

Whether it was for brownie points or not is immaterial to me. I feel that as Commander In Chief, it is duty and obligation to look in on the troops at every given opportunity. I would expect no less from any President.

Wonder if he'll admit to the troops that now that he's elected, his Iraq policy is the same as McCains campaign position was? You know .. leave tens of thousands of troops in country as 'advisors' for an unspecified length of time .. perhaps for decades.

50,000 troops ... perhaps for decades.
That's Obama's policy. It was McCains.

Betchya Obama doesn't admit it.

Huffington Post

The Huffington Post asked McCain, if he had been elected president, whether he would have implemented roughly the same plan that Obama intends to carry out in Iraq.

"Oh, I'm sure," he said, "because that's what our military and civilian leadership has recommended. I can't say exactly, but certainly it seems to me it's a viable strategy."

Anti War News

During the campaign the president spoke repeatedly of a 16 month timetable, but backed off of it almost immediately after taking office. The current plan would spell a significant cut in ground troops in 19 months, but leaves open the question of when (or even if) the Obama Administration ever intends to formally leave the nation.

Youtube - 2008 - McCain says he'd leave a presence of troops in Iraq for 100 years if necessary - like we have in Germany and Japan.



Obama promptly jumped on McCain for his statement.
But now Obama is doing the exact same thing.

USA Today June 11, 2008

Obama and aides say McCain has no plan to get troops out of Iraq. The Democratic National Committee included the 100-year comment in a YouTube video posted to spotlight McCain's appearance on Today.

Obama has pledged to have all combat troops out of Iraq within 16 months, and to not build any permanent bases there. McCain and supporters call Obama's withdrawal plan a virtual surrender of Iraq that would endanger American security in the Middle East.

So the difference between McCain and Obama on Iraq now is ..... what exactly? And the change is .... where exactly?

Will Obama tell those troops who voted for him that he is NOT holding up to his campaign pledge to bring them ALL home within 16 months of taking office?

Will Obama tell those troops that his position now is exactly the same as John McCains was during the campaign .. a position that Obama hammered McCain for?

Betchya he doesn't.

reply to post by FlyersFan


Well who cares if McPain would have done the same thing. Obama got to the white house then was briefed on the real issues and realized the situation was a lot more complex then his simple election promises would allow.

REALITY started to sink in.

Originally posted by SLAYER69
Well who cares if McPain would have done the same thing.

Everyone who voted for Obama should care. Obama smacked McCain for saying that he was going to do exactly what Obama is doing now.

Obama got to the white house then was briefed on the real issues and realized the situation was a lot more complex then his simple election promises would allow.

In other words ... Obama was making empty promises based upon his severe lack of knowledge and understanding of the situation. People voted for him based upon those false promises. Now they are getting McCain anyways.

I'd like to hear Obama give a speech to those troops in Iraq .. hat in hand .. telling them that he was an idiot for making those campaign promises and that he is now just John McCain ...

i dont get this guy hes tried to make miltary pay for their own healthcare, hes slashed the defense budget hes sending more tropps in afghanistan he was agianst the iraq war and says they did a good job.

an opportunist? everyone knows what democrats are about if it was up to them there would be no us military..

every photo op with the miltary has been staged


[edit on 7-4-2009 by neo67]

reply to post by FlyersFan


There is a difference between leaving a few troops in for maintenance. (I would be more shocked if we didn't actually, not to mention playing with fire) then leaving a whole bunch of troops.

I never expected either candidate to remove all troops.
McCain wanted to contiue war, Obama wanted to leae a safety net but force the country to run for itself.

I bet he was over there planning the next 9/11 with his muslim brothers who executed 9/11