WASHINGTON, July 21 (UPI) -- Far from embarrassing him before the American public and on the world stage, Sen. Barack Obama's visits to Iraq and Afghanistan so far have been exceptionally successful because he has displayed the very qualities he was supposed to lack the experience to have: a consistent and disciplined strategic vision.

Obama, D-Ill., who has a lock on his party's presidential nomination, hit Iraq running Monday morning. He met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad and discussed his 16-month plan to fully withdraw all U.S. combat forces.

They certainly saw to eye-to-eye about that. Maliki stunned the Bush administration on July 7 by saying publicly he would refuse to sign a Status of Forces Agreement with Washington unless the White House committed to a deadline for a full U.S. troop withdrawal.

Earlier Monday Obama conferred in Basra with two senior Western commanders -- U.S. Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin, who leads Multi-National Corps-Iraq, and British Maj. Gen. Barney White-Spunner, who leads Multi-National Division-Southeast.

Obama has spelled out a detailed 16-month plan to withdraw all U.S. combat forces and won a glowing endorsement from Maliki's spokesman.