Washington
14 July 2008
Reports from the Middle East say US Democratic presidential contenderBarack Obama will visit both Israel and the West Bank next week as partof a major foreign trip. VOA's Michael Bowman reports, other stopsinclude Iraq, Afghanistan, and several European locations.
TheObama campaign has released few details about the senator's forthcomingitinerary, but Israeli and Palestinian officials say Obama will meetseparately with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and PalestinianPresident Mahmoud Abbas.
His Republican rival, Senator JohnMcCain, took a similar trip to the Middle East and Europe in March, andhas regularly visited Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to oustSaddam Hussein.
Obama has been a fierce critic of the Bushadministration's handling of foreign affairs, especially the Iraq war.Political analyst Larry Sabato, who heads the Center for Politics atthe University of Virginia, says the upcoming trip is critical for apresidential aspirant with limited foreign policy credentials.
"Heis criticizing our [US] policy in Iraq. He needs to see it on theground, and he has not been there [to Iraq] in years," he said. "It isimportant that he talk to the world leaders with whom he may very wellbe dealing come January [if elected president]."
Sabatodescribes the trip as a high-risk, high-reward opportunity for Obama,who could either quell voters' doubts about his command of foreignpolicy issues with a strong performance or amplify them with anymiscues.
International public opinion polls show Obama with highapproval ratings in many countries. Sabato says he expects Obama willget a warm reception at most stops on the trip, particularly in Europe.Foreign leaders will have their own agendas, knowing that they could bemeeting with the next president of the United States, according toSabato.
"They will want to get off on the right foot with him[Obama]," said Sabato. "They will want to impress him. They will wantto educate him about bilateral relations, multilateral relations, andsome of the issues with which he will have to deal if indeed he doesbecome president."
Monday, Obama reiterated his determination togradually withdraw US forces from Iraq should he win the election, andrefocus US military efforts to target al-Qaida and the Taliban inAfghanistan. In a column in the New York Times newspaper, Obama said heremains convinced that real political progress in Iraq will be achievedonly if America places a time limit on the duration of its troopcommitment in the country, but admitted that "tactical adjustments" tothe strategy may be needed based on advice from US commanders.
JohnMcCain has blasted Obama for opposing last year's US troop surge thatmany credit for helping bring a fragile stability to Iraq that couldpave the way for future troop reductions. McCain has refused to embracea timetable for withdrawing US forces from Iraq, saying to do so wouldembolden America's enemies.