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In Jordan, Obama Urges Iraq-to-Afghanistan Shift

Posted Jul 22, 08 11:29 AM CDT in Politics 

(AP) – Barack Obama said today that, with improved security in Iraq, the US should turn its attention to Afghanistan. “There is security progress, but now we need a political solution” in Iraq, Obama said in Amman, Jordan—in his first news conference abroad, the AP reports. Afghanistan, the “central front in the war against terrorism,” is in “a deteriorating situation."

He reiterated his goal of withdrawing combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of becoming president, but said he would consult with military commanders to determine how many non-combat troops to keep in the country. Obama acknowledged that Gen. David Petraeus does not want a withdrawal schedule, but—in apparent reference to shifts from Iraqi PM Maliki and President Bush—welcomed “the growing consensus in the United States and Iraq for a timeline.”

Source Associated Press

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U.S. Presidential contender Barack Obama, center, carries a helmet on his arrival in Amman, Jordan, Tuesday, July 22. 2008. Obama arrived in Jordan from Iraq for talks with King Abdullah expected to deal...   (Khalil Jermi)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., right, arrive at Marka Airport in Amman, Jordan, Tuesday, July 22, 2008.   (Jae C. Hong)
Barack Obama, D-Ill., center, flanked by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., left, and Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., speaks during a news conference at the citadel in Amman, Jordan.   (Jae C. Hong)
This photo provided by the U.S. Army shows Gen. David H. Petraeus giving an update on the situation in Iraq to Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.   (AP Photo/U.S. Army, Staff Sgt. Lorie Jewell)
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Tags

Barack Obama  • George W. Bush  • Afghanistan  • Nouri al-Maliki  • David Petraeus  • troop withdrawal  • Iraq exit strategy  • Jordan


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