Lucia

de Vernai

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July 28, 2008

Obama Rolled By the Iraqis; Get Used To It, Rock Star

Barack Obama’s international tour confirmed his rock star status, drawing crowds and media attention wherever he went. The 200,000 people who showed up in Berlin to hear his clever – although rather predictable – allusion to the Reagan “Mister Gorbachev, tear down this wall” speech Berlin were inspired. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called him “politically and physically fit.”

Yet his time in the Middle East makes one wonder: “He’s pretty . . . but can he lead?”

When Obama was in Iraq, the spokesman for the Iraqi government, Ali al-Dabbagh, said that there is an Iraqi vision of “a real timetable which Iraqis set, up to the end of 2010.” A clear endorsement for Obama’s 16-month withdrawal plan, it is a direct contradiction of the assurances by John McCain’s senior foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann, who claims the Republicans received “personal assurance” from the Iraqi president and prime minister that they oppose a deadline.

When a German news magazine printed the al-Dabbagh comments, the White House insisted that the spokesman was misquoted . . . and then al-Dabbagh retracted part of his statement for good measure. Did Obama get used by the Iraqis to put pressure on the current administration? It looks like it, especially since, for the very first time, President Bush mentioned a “time horizon” to withdraw troops.
 

Then again, it’s wise to be careful taking the president’s words to heart, at least when it comes to assessing the situation in the Middle East. This calls for a “mission accomplished” joke, but maybe we’re on an entirely new mission now. Prolonged presence in Iraq would save a lot of time and money if (and by “if” I mean “when”) we decide to show those cocky Iranians who’s boss.

Sure, about 20,000 of our troops in the region are on anti-depressants and last year alone almost 1,000 attempted suicide. The important thing is that violence has gone down. In fact, in the first five months of the year we lost “only” 179 soldiers. To McCain this is a victory – after all, previous to last year’s addition of 30,000 troops, the number of troop losses was almost 500. And the Arizona senator will not let us forget that Obama opposed the addition of those troops.

All this may start chipping at Obama’s greatest strength – his enthusiasm and yet-unspoiled faith in enacting change. He’s still shiny and new, but as Iraqis use him as a political pawn, and long-term effects of war are haunting troops even after they return home, the idealism and grand plans make “I want change, progress and peace” sound a lot like “I want a pony!”

Yes, world peace, Iraqi freedom, troops safe back at home and love, peace and unity in the Middle East are certainly wanted. But Obama traveling the world telling the world community how he wants to change the world will soon not be enough. Unless Obama sacrifices some of his idealism for a dose of realism, he is not likely to be taken seriously in the world of international relations.

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