Politico.com posted in his article 'Obama to refine Iraq Plan'..
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on Thursday backed off his firm promise to withdraw combat forces from Iraq immediately and instead said he could "refine" his plan after his trip to Baghdad later this month. Earlier, a top Obama adviser had said that the senator is not "wedded" to a specific timeline. Obama told reporters in Fargo, N.D., that he is "going to do a thorough assessment." "When I go to Iraq and I have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I'm sure I'll have more information and will continue to refine my policies," he said, according to CBS News. "I have been consistent, throughout this process, that I believe the war in Iraq was a mistake." Obama later said at a second news conference he still intends to stick to the timeline.
Earlier, a top Obama adviser had said that the senator is not "wedded" to a specific timeline.
Obama told reporters in Fargo, N.D., that he is "going to do a thorough assessment."
"When I go to Iraq and I have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I'm sure I'll have more information and will continue to refine my policies," he said, according to CBS News. "I have been consistent, throughout this process, that I believe the war in Iraq was a mistake."
Obama later said at a second news conference he still intends to stick to the timeline.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/070 8/11517.html
I personally think he'll take a sensible approach with his withdrawal plan. But Afghanistan is going to be problem as long as the Taliban/Al Qaida can hide in the Pashtun areas of Pakistan. Obama will have to do what Bush couldn't do..that is to get rid of the head of the Al-Qaida hydra which is Osama and Al-Zawahiri..
with the use of one or two words; if he hadn't used "refine," then this story probably never surfaces. The phrase, "listen to conditions on the ground," is also being interpreted to be a flip (which it might be) but Obama seems to be claiming that what he meant (another WORM moment) is that he could slow-down the pace of his withdrawal if conditions changed that affected the safety and stability of the Iraq. I still think he can say with a straight face that he hasn't flipped on his desire to begin withdrawal.
I guess he now knows what it feels to be Hillary, getting attacked from the right and the left. I guess he's a Clinton now.
Speaking of saying something with a straight face, do you really think he is just now being attacked by both left and right? Have you already forgotten the primaries and all of the hatred that has been spewed his way from many Clinton supporters since then?
