BAGHDAD — Iraqi officials said Wednesday they don’t expect Barack Obama to withdraw U.S. troops hastily from Iraq.
With violence down and the economy No. 1 on American voters’ minds, the Iraqis said they believe the new president will take his time before fulfilling his promise to end the war in Iraq, which costs U.S. taxpayers $12 billion a month at a time of financial crisis back home.
“Obama has to deal with Iraq’s issues in a positive way and have a sense of responsibility to correct the situation in Iraq, as well the situation inside America,” said Salim Abdullah, spokesman of the largest Sunni bloc in parliament. “We are not concerned that he will take a unilateral decision to remove troops quickly from Iraq since he needs to discuss this issue with the Iraqi government first.”
As the U.S. election returns rolled in early Wednesday, Iraqi doubts turned to admiration, not only for Obama but for a nation that would choose a president from a racial minority — an example for a country like Iraq struggling to reconcile ethnic and religious communities.
After John McCain conceded defeat, ordinary Iraqis exchanged text messages on their cellphones, congratulating one another as if they themselves had cast ballots.
“I would like to congratulate the American people for an admirable example of democracy and elections,” Sadiq al-Rikabi, a top adviser to al-Maliki, said. “We look forward to working with him to consolidate relations between our two nations.” The Associated Press
