In Baghdad, reiterating his pledge to end a war he opposed from the start, he told a cheering crowd of American troops that it was time for Iraqis “to take responsibility for their country and for their sovereignty.” Later, with a hint of impatience in his words, he urged Iraq’s leaders to unite the country’s deeply divided ethnic and sectarian factions and to incorporate them all into government and security forces.
“It is time for us to transition to the Iraqis,” Mr. Obama told hundreds of American troops jammed into Al Faw Palace, an imposing sandstone building in an artificial lake that once belonged to Saddam Hussein. The uniformed crowd greeted that remark specifically with rousing applause.
Good for Obama to make what is still a dangerous trip for any US president, especially when the trip takes them anywhere near the Baghdad Foot Locker. But he has yet to acknowledge that, but for W's strenuous efforts, and over the ostentatious opposition of people like Obama, no one would be going to Baghdad right now.
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