Iraq wary over troops despite Obama plans

BAGHDAD, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Iraqi leaders view the negotiated plans for a U.S. troop withdrawal as a top area of concern as the new Washington administration takes shape.

Wael Abdul-Latif with the secular Iraqi National List said President-elect Barack Obama is but one of many officials in Washington who dictate U.S. foreign policy objectives. Despite campaign pledges, Abdul-Latif said Iraqi security factors depend on elements beyond simple troop assessments, the Institute for War & Peace Reporting said Friday.

"Things in Iraq won't change unless Washington finds radical solutions for Iran," he said.

Most political leaders in Iraq do not view the incoming administration as a source of major change in U.S. policy toward Iraq, viewing political transformation largely as an internal affair.

"Most of Obama's speeches were only for campaigning," said foreign affairs official Abd al-Barie Zebari. "The likelihood that Washington will change its Iraq policies is limited."

For the Kurds, an Obama administration will need to focus its energy on resolving disputes between Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey, though most Kurds are looking to Vice President-elect Joe Biden as a representative of Kurdish interests in Washington.

Biden is seen as a supporter of a federal system in Iraq, something supported by many Kurdish lawmakers.