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McCain and Obama clash over strategy in Iraq
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-07-15 10:58 'HE WAS WRONG' McCain said he also would consider putting more troops in Afghanistan. "But the major point here is that Senator Obama refuses to acknowledge that he was wrong," McCain said. Obama welcomed Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's suggestion to include a timetable for withdrawal of US troops in an agreement under discussion that would set the terms for the American military presence in Iraq.
"This is not a strategy for success -- it is a strategy for staying that runs contrary to the will of the Iraqi people, the American people and the security interests of the United States," Obama said. "That is why, on my first day in office, I would give the military a new mission: ending this war," he said. No dates have been disclosed for Obama's expected visit to Iraq and Afghanistan because of security concerns. Accompanying Obama on the trip will be Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat, and Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Republican. Both have military backgrounds and have been vocal critics of the Iraq war. Obama's speech on Tuesday will focus on US concerns in Iraq and the region, his campaign said. Obama said this month he might refine his plan to bring combat troops home within 16 months of taking office if conditions on the ground changed. McCain, a Vietnam War hero, has attacked Obama as too inexperienced to serve as US commander in chief. He said Obama was shifting positions on Iraq. "We are winning," he said, adding he looked forward to hearing from Obama about his meeting with Gen. David Petraeus, US commander in Iraq. "And if we still adopt Sen. Obama's proposal for a set date for withdrawal, this very fragile success that we have achieved will be jeopardized. That's what Gen. Petraeus says, and that's what Osama bin Laden says," McCain said. |
