This Is Troublesome If True

In this photo released by the U.S. army, U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama, right, is greeted by top U.S. military commander in Iraq, David Petraeus, center, upon his arrival to Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, July 21, 2008. Obama began Monday his first on-the-ground inspection of Iraq since launching his bid for the White House, with U.S. commanders ready to brief him on progress in a war he long opposed and Iraqi leaders wanting more details of his proposals for troop withdrawals.

Obama Tried To Stall GI's Iraq Withdrawl -- New York Post

WHILE campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence.

According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Obama made his demand for delay a key theme of his discussions with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in July.

"He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington," Zebari said in an interview.

Obama insisted that Congress should be involved in negotiations on the status of US troops - and that it was in the interests of both sides not to have an agreement negotiated by the Bush administration in its "state of weakness and political confusion."

"However, as an Iraqi, I prefer to have a security agreement that regulates the activities of foreign troops, rather than keeping the matter open." Zebari says.

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My Comment: The division of powers in the U.S. constitution is explicit in delegating responsibilities. Troop movements fall under the purview of the executive branch (the President), and not the legislative (Congress). This is an example of Congress interfering in the foreign policy initiatives of the President, a prescription for diplomatic confusion if there ever was one. If Senator Obama is elected President, I am sure that he would not be happy having members of Congress (who are running for office) make the decision to interfere with American diplomacy.