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Still a lot of work to do in Iraq: Obama

— Photo: AFP

Exuding warmth: U.S. President Barack Obama greets troops during a visit to Camp Victory, just outside Baghdad, on Tuesday.

BAGHDAD: Unannounced and shielded by heavy security, President Barack Obama flew to Iraq on Tuesday for a brief inspection of a war he opposed as a candidate and now vows to end as Commander-in-Chief. “There is still a lot of work to do here,” he declared.

Obama spoke favourably of political progress being made in Iraq but also expressed concern that recent gains could deteriorate with the upcoming national elections. He said the next 18 months “could be a critical period”’ for Iraq as American troops pull out and the war-torn country consolidates its fledgling democracy.

“It’s important for us to use all of our influence to encourage the parties to resolve these issues in ways that are equitable. I think that my presence here can help do that,” he said.

Mr. Obama walked off his plane after a trip from Turkey, shook hands with General Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in the country, and travelled to Camp Victory, the main American military base in Iraq. The motorcade rolled past troops standing at attention. “It was wonderful to see the troops out there,” said Mr. Obama. “I’m so grateful, they put their heart and souls into it.”

Aides decided to scrap plans for a helicopter ride to the heavily fortified Green Zone a few miles away — but attributed the decision to poor visibility rather than security concerns.

About an hour after arriving, Mr. Obama met with about 600 of the 1,39,000 U.S. troops stationed in Iraq. Aides said he was presenting combat medals to 10 of them.

Officials said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki was travelling by motorcade to meet with Mr. Obama, a change from their planned get-together in the Green Zone. En route to Iraq, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama chose this country rather than Afghanistan for a war-zone visit in part because it was near Turkey and also because progress “lies in political solutions.”

“We spend a lot of time trying to get Afghanistan right, but I think it is important for people to know that there is still a lot of work to do here,” he said. — AP

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