Amid questions, Obama restates commitment to 16-month Iraq exit
The Democratic candidate holds a second news conference after a statement earlier in the day suggests he may have been softening his position.
FARGO, N.D. — Democrat Barack Obama said today that he continues to be committed to withdrawing U.S. combat troops from Iraq in 16 months, after his earlier comments raised questions about whether he was softening his position.
"Here is what I can tell you," Obama said in a second news conference on Iraq. "I will bring our troops out one to two brigades a month. That's what I intend to do as president of the United States."
Earlier, Obama had emphasized that he might revise his proposed timetable for pulling U.S. combat troops from Iraq, saying he needed to consult with U.S. commanders and do a "thorough assessment of the situation."
The comments at the first news conference here seemed to be a shift in focus by Obama, a staunch opponent of the Iraq war. At both news conferences, Obama maintained that he had not changed his position.
In the past, Obama has stressed his plan to begin a withdrawal immediately and complete it within 16 months, although he also has carefully hedged, leaving the option of taking more time -- and leaving more troops -- if events require.
At his first news conference, Obama did not explicitly say he would stick to the 16-month timetable, which appeared to depart from a statement on his website pledging that he will "have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months."
At both news conferences, Obama was asked whether he now advocates a slower timetable, but he insisted that his position hasn't changed.
"I've always said that I would listen to commanders on the ground," Obama said at the first news conference. "I've always said the pace of withdrawal would be dictated by the safety and security of our troops and the need to maintain stability. That assessment has not changed."
He added that his timeline was always contingent on keeping the troops safe.
"I said that based on the information that we had received from our commanders that one to two brigades a month could be pulled out safely from a logistical perspective," he said. "And my guiding approach continues to be that our troops are safe and that Iraq is stable."
Still, the Republican National Committee quickly seized on his early comments as evidence of flip-flopping.
"There appears to be no issue that Barack Obama is not willing to reverse himself on for the sake of political expedience," spokesman Alex Conant said. "Obama's Iraq problem undermines the central premise of his candidacy and shows him to be a typical politician."
