Pedestrian Observer GB: Barack Obama Offers a Bright Prospect on US Foreign Relations

It appears that all these fears thrown around by critiques and opponents of Barack Obama during the election season are unfounded and delusional at best. One of those proven wrong this early is Mohammed Fadhil at Pajama’s Media complaining about Obama’s “meddling” that he states will “undermine” future US-Iraq relationship in an article on ctober 15, 2008, to quote:

I was hoping that presidential candidates would not put their electoral objectives above those of their nation. Alas, blinding greed and selfishness seem to prevail sometimes.

I don’t dare suggest that Obama wanted to obstruct the treaty because it threatens Iran and other despots in the Middle East; I’m sure his purpose is different. The thing is that his purpose is also different from that of the U.S. or of Iraq — two friendly states looking forward to building long-lasting cooperation based on shared interests and mutual respect. We want victory in the war; Obama wants victory in elections — this is the problem. I’m not sure how or if people here think the treaty might affect the presidential race, but in Iraq and the Middle East people think that signing the treaty before elections would be regarded as a victory for Republicans that could propel McCain to the White House. Again Iran and many in the Middle East don’t want McCain to be in the White House. I guess that’s one thing they have in common with Obama.

Well what do you know not only does Fadhill need to wake up, smell the coffee and get out of his pajama that probably obscure his sense of reality sensing greed and selfishness when there is none. The innuendoes are uncalled for and portraying Barack Obama’s stand as synonymous with Iran is dumb and simply delusional. On the other hand Fadhill may have misread the refusal of the Iraqi government to sign a status of forces agreement with the U.S. military as an Iranian conspiracy. Of course it is not easy to determine what the Iraqi government people are thinking despite the agreement having a guarantee of a full scale troop withdrawal by 2011 it is easier to speculate.

That’s the problem when you find yourself on the other side of history, you are found to find yourself isolated and detached from reality. This early those speculative fear mongers are dead wrong according to this article by NY Times:

BAGHDAD — Barack Obama may have been elected only three days ago, but his victory is already beginning to shift the political ground in Iraq and the region.

Iraqi Shiite politicians are indicating that they will move faster toward a new security agreement about American troops, and a Bush administration official said he believed that Iraqis could ratify the agreement as early as the middle of this month.

“Before, the Iraqis were thinking that if they sign the pact, there will be no respect for the schedule of troop withdrawal by Dec. 31, 2011,” said Hadi al-Ameri, a powerful member of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, a major Shiite party. “If Republicans were still there, there would be no respect for this timetable. This is a positive step to have the same theory about the timetable as Mr. Obama.”

Mr. Obama has said that he favors a 16-month schedule for withdrawing combat brigades, a timetable about twice as fast as that provided for in the draft American and Iraqi accord.

Trust, people seem to forget this very important aspect in negotiations and what an Obama presidency this early brings to the table. Instead of negativity for a change people should look at the bright side and if President-elect Barack Obama is making an impact this early a sign that we are on the road to restoring America’s moral standing in the world.

Of course a very optimistic view at times will lead one to misread the events especially when you look at the volatile fractious Iraqi politics but with major obstacle such as mistrust out of the way the chances of signing of the agreement is more likely at a time when Iraq and the U.S. should have it in place by now.

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