Barack Obama on Iraq War and Iran

Sen. Barack Obama discusses the Iraq War, and what he would do to restore optimism in the U.S.

This interview took place on November 9, 2007, at Iowa Public Television. http://www.iptv.org/campaign08/

Yepsen: Senator, I want to back up and take a broader look at some things. The dollar is at a record low against the euro. The Iraq war continues. The stock market is falling. We don't know what to do about Iran, and oil is approaching $100 a barrel. Americans are in a pretty down mood. What would you do as president to restore some optimism in this country?

Obama: Well, I think, step one, we have to bring this war in Iraq to a close. I think it has been an enormous drain, obviously, on the young men and women who are serving, in the wounds and the deaths that have been suffered there. But we're also spending $10- to $12 billion a month. That is putting an enormous strain on our fiscal situation here at home. It prevents us from reinvesting in infrastructure.

And it has really hurt our reputation around the world. So we can get our combat troops out in about sixteen months, at the pace of one to two brigades a month. If we do that, I think we can then set a new tone of leadership around the world, saying we want to work with the world on critical issues like nuclear proliferation, but we're also going to work to improve public health in places like sub-Saharan Africa, build schools in the Middle East.

That whole tone of leadership around the world will not only, I think, help our foreign policy, it will help our economy. One of the reasons that we've got oil at close to $100 a barrel is because of the saber-rattling that the Bush administration has been engaging in with respect to Iran. About a third of that cost is really the spot market saying there may be war. And if we can lower the temperature, lower the rhetoric that can also improve our economy.

And if we have a new program of reinvesting in the American worker and saying to people in America, you count, Washington's thinking about you, we are going to invest in your education, we're going to invest in broadband lines, those kinds of -- that sense of optimism and movement where we're not just passively watching as these things happen to us, but instead we're acting forcefully to meet a future that right now is uncertain, I think that's the kind of leadership we need from Washington.

Category:

News & Politics

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[esrapk]

no change yet.

[IngenuousAustralian]

The only way to win a war is buy preventing one.

[lateralus1337]

here is your answer

Only the dead have seen the end of war- Plato

[sikminesta]

YES! i would also like to know, Corpral?

[freelove4me]

How does one win a war?

[iraqiefreedom101]

you are a fucking idiot lets ask the people in Iraq who should be president you are a complete retard so stfu i am tired of your people.

[kristylvsjets]

Does anybody care that this guy last name has Husane in it? Yikes ! Why don't the people of the U.S. conduct there own serveys on the internet and ask the middle eastern people what they want , without aid from our unbioist liberal news media!I think they want to be free. Dah. This video sucks to bad editing.

[Afriend2you]

I am a Corporal in the Army. I have been to Iraq twice.He is out of touch with the war in Iraq, he hasnt been in iraq since 2006(pre-surge) A mistake to go in maybe, but the fact is we are in, and I'm for victory. If we leave, hundreds of thousands of people who trusted US to protect them will die in the hands of the insurgents. It would be a great waste of money and American lives 2 leave after the surge has been shown to be successful, leaving now is snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory

[GoldeWC]

same in canada we have 135

[DSAhmed]

close to 100 dollars a barrell? The price is over 130 right now.