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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Obama says Iraq war 'distracting' | Obama says Iraq war 'distracting' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Barack Obama, the Democratic contender for the US presidency, has said the US focus on Iraq is distracting the country from challenging other threats. | Barack Obama, the Democratic contender for the US presidency, has said the US focus on Iraq is distracting the country from challenging other threats. |
| In a speech, Senator Obama argued that the open-ended war was diminishing US security and damaging the US economy. | In a speech, Senator Obama argued that the open-ended war was diminishing US security and damaging the US economy. |
| Mr Obama said his top priority would be to end the war in Iraq and the second to take the war to al-Qaeda and the Taleban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. | |
| His criticised the policies of his Republican rival in November's poll. | |
| John McCain says events on the ground must govern any Iraq pullout. | |
| Earlier, President George W Bush rejected any "artificial" timetable for withdrawing US troops, saying a decision must be made "as conditions permit". | Earlier, President George W Bush rejected any "artificial" timetable for withdrawing US troops, saying a decision must be made "as conditions permit". |
| Mr Obama's speech comes ahead of a tour that will include Iraq and Afghanistan. | Mr Obama's speech comes ahead of a tour that will include Iraq and Afghanistan. |
| The dates of the trip have not been disclosed for security reasons. | The dates of the trip have not been disclosed for security reasons. |
| 'Unacceptable' | 'Unacceptable' |
| In the speech at the International Trade Center in Washington, Mr Obama said a "single-minded" focus on Iraq was distracting the US and jeopardising its security. | In the speech at the International Trade Center in Washington, Mr Obama said a "single-minded" focus on Iraq was distracting the US and jeopardising its security. |
| Al-Qaeda has an expanding base in Pakistan that is probably no farther from their old Afghan sanctuary than a train ride from Washington to Philadelphia Excerpt from Barack Obama speech | Al-Qaeda has an expanding base in Pakistan that is probably no farther from their old Afghan sanctuary than a train ride from Washington to Philadelphia Excerpt from Barack Obama speech |
| "This war diminishes our security, our standing in the world, our military, our economy, and the resources that we need to confront the challenges of the 21st Century," he said. | "This war diminishes our security, our standing in the world, our military, our economy, and the resources that we need to confront the challenges of the 21st Century," he said. |
| "By any measure, our single-minded and open-ended focus on Iraq is not a sound strategy for keeping America safe." | "By any measure, our single-minded and open-ended focus on Iraq is not a sound strategy for keeping America safe." |
| Mr Obama said that his priorities in the White House would be to concentrate on finishing the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taleban. | Mr Obama said that his priorities in the White House would be to concentrate on finishing the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taleban. |
| Mr Obama set out in more detail his plans for a withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, a process he said would allow much needed reinforcements to be sent to Afghanistan. | Mr Obama set out in more detail his plans for a withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, a process he said would allow much needed reinforcements to be sent to Afghanistan. |
| "It is unacceptable that almost seven years after nearly 3,000 Americans were killed on our soil, the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are still at large," he said. | "It is unacceptable that almost seven years after nearly 3,000 Americans were killed on our soil, the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are still at large," he said. |
| "Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahari are recording messages to their followers and plotting more terror. The Taliban controls parts of Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda has an expanding base in Pakistan that is probably no farther from their old Afghan sanctuary than a train ride from Washington to Philadelphia." | "Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahari are recording messages to their followers and plotting more terror. The Taliban controls parts of Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda has an expanding base in Pakistan that is probably no farther from their old Afghan sanctuary than a train ride from Washington to Philadelphia." |
| "And yet today, we have five times more troops in Iraq than Afghanistan." | "And yet today, we have five times more troops in Iraq than Afghanistan." |
| Timetable for withdrawal | Timetable for withdrawal |
| BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says the war over the war in Iraq is moving into high gear. | BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says the war over the war in Iraq is moving into high gear. |
| The essential difference between Mr Obama and his Republican rival, John McCain, is that the Illinois senator wants to set a clear timetable for a withdrawal from Iraq - some 16 months - while Mr McCain insists that the situation on the ground, not timetables, must govern the pace of any withdrawal, our correspondent says. | The essential difference between Mr Obama and his Republican rival, John McCain, is that the Illinois senator wants to set a clear timetable for a withdrawal from Iraq - some 16 months - while Mr McCain insists that the situation on the ground, not timetables, must govern the pace of any withdrawal, our correspondent says. |
| It is not just a political argument, he adds - it has a huge bearing on the signals that the next US president will send to the Middle East and at root it is a test of their capacity to be Commander-in-Chief. | It is not just a political argument, he adds - it has a huge bearing on the signals that the next US president will send to the Middle East and at root it is a test of their capacity to be Commander-in-Chief. |
| Opinion polls suggest that Americans remain deeply divided on the best strategy in Iraq, with almost equal proportions opting for a clear timetable or for no timetable for a withdrawal. | Opinion polls suggest that Americans remain deeply divided on the best strategy in Iraq, with almost equal proportions opting for a clear timetable or for no timetable for a withdrawal. |
| Mr Obama may not necessarily need to win this argument outright, our correspondent says, but in setting out his foreign policy stall he needs to show that he has credible, concrete positions that make sense of a complex world. | Mr Obama may not necessarily need to win this argument outright, our correspondent says, but in setting out his foreign policy stall he needs to show that he has credible, concrete positions that make sense of a complex world. |