Politics: Obama Negotiating with Iraq?

While the Bush administration was negotiating an agreement to keep the U.S. military in Iraq, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama tried to convince Iraqi leaders that the president shouldn’t be allowed to do so without congressional approval, reports the Washington Times.


Iraqi leaders say Obama urged them to delay an agreement with Bush until next year. The Obama campaign denies the claim, but admits a conversation did occur.

In the conversation, the senator urged Iraq to delay the [memorandum of understanding] between Iraq and the United States until the new administration was in place,” said Samir Sumaidaie, Iraq’s ambassador to the United States.

He said Mr. Zebari replied that any such agreement would not bind a new administration. “The new administration will have a free hand to opt out,” he said the foreign minister told Mr. Obama.

A response was issued by Obama's camp in response to the NY Post's article, that ran last month.