From the ArcaMax Publishing, Politics Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/politics/s-372954-998857
FARGO, N.D. (UPI) -- Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., softened his time line
for troop withdrawals from Iraq, saying he'd consult with U.S.
commanders to ensure safety and security.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said the 16-month time
frame for withdrawing troops from Iraq was flexible., depending on
ground conditions, The Washington Post said Thursday.
"My 16-month time line, if you examine everything I've said, was
always premised on making sure our troops were safe," Obama told
reporters in Fargo, N.D. "And my guiding approach continues to be that
we've got to make sure that our troops are safe, and that Iraq is
stable. And I'm going to continue to gather information to find out
whether those conditions still hold."
Maintaining a long-term occupation in Iraq would be a "strategic
error," Obama said because conditions are worsening in Afghanistan,
al-Qaida has regrouped in Iraq and the $10 billion to $12 billion
spent each month in Iraq "that we desperately need here at home."
But, "I have always said I would listen to the commanders on the
ground," Obama added. "I have always said that the pace of withdrawal
would be dictated by the safety and security of our troops and the
need to
maintain stability."