Obama: 'Success-focused' in Iraq

by Mark Silva

"This is going to be a critical period, these next 18 months,'' President Barack Obama told American troops assembled at Al Faw Palace, at Camp Victory, in Baghdad, today.

Obama, who had pledged as a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq within 16 months of election, has acceded so a somewhat slower withdrawal at the recommendation of commanders - pledging now to remove combat forces by the end of August 2010.

The president also was using a word today in Iraq for which his predecessor, former President George W. Bush, had sometimes been criticized in the pursuit of a six-year war that he started: "Success.''

In Baghdad today, Obama said the timeframe for U.S. withdrawal is placing an additional responsibility on the Iraqi government.

"I think it's something that all of you know. It is time for us to transition to the Iraqis,'' the president said, drawing a boisterous applause from troops, many of whom have served, as he noted, repeat tours of duty in Iraq. "They need to take responsibility for their country and for their sovereignty,'' Obama said to repeated applause.

"And in order for them to do that, they have got to make political accommodations,'' the president said. "They're going to have to decide that they want to resolve their differences through constitutional means and legal means. They are going to have to focus on providing government services that encourage confidence among their citizens.''

Obama met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during a brief visit whose itinerary was truncated by a sandstorm - instead of the president going to the Green Zone, the Green Zone's residents came to the president, at the camp near the airport. Obama also met with Gen. Ray Odierno, top U.S. commander in Iraq.

"We've made significant political progress,'' Obama said after his briefing from Odierno. "You've seen a greater willingness on the part of all the factions in Iraq to resolve their issues politically and through non-violent means.

" But with the national elections coming up, many of the unresolved issues may be brought to a head,'' he said. " And it's very important for us to use all of our influence to encourage parties to resolve these issues in ways that are equitable and fair. And I think that my presence here can help do that.''

The Iraqis must step up to the task, he said.

"We can't do it for them,'' Obama said of the Iraqis, in his address to troops at the palace. "But what we can do is make sure that we are a stalwart partner, that we are working alongside them, that we are committed to their success, that in terms of training their security forces, training their civilian forces in order to achieve a more effective government, they know that they have a steady partner with us....

"Now is not the time to lose focus,'' the president told the troops. "We have to be even more focused than we've been in order to achieve success.''