(VOI) - Senator Barack Obama said that he was considering visiting American troops and commanders in Iraq this summer, the New York Times newspaper said on Thursday. "Mr. Obama declined an invitation from Senator John McCain to take a joint trip to Iraq, saying, "I just donÂ’t want to be involved in a political stunt," the paper added.
| He has, however, been sufficiently shamed ... |
In a brief interview here, Mr. Obama said he might take a foreign trip after securing the Democratic presidential nomination. “No details have been set,” he said. "Iraq would obviously be at the top of the list of stops," he added.
Mr. Obama visited Iraq in January 2006 as part of a Congressional delegation to the Middle East. He has not returned since becoming a presidential contender. "Mr. McCain and the Republican National Committee have sought to use the 2006 trip to highlight a lack of foreign policy experience," the daily commented.
For weeks, aides to Mr. Obama have been quietly discussing a foreign trip, but the long Democratic nominating contest delayed concrete plans. "If IÂ’m going to Iraq, then IÂ’m there to talk to troops and talk to commanders," Mr. Obama said. "IÂ’m not there to try to score political points or perform. The work theyÂ’re doing there is too important."
Mr. McCain responded to the possible trip by saying he was "glad to hear that Senator Obama is now, quote, considering a trip to Iraq. ItÂ’s long overdue. ItÂ’s been 871 days since he was there." |