Obama, the whole world is watching

During Tuesday's hearing with General David Petraeus and US Ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker, Senator Barack Obama renewed his call for diplomacy in Iraq. Some consider Obama naive in his belief that any agreement with Iran would be worth the paper it was printed on. I would concur.

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The problem with presidential candidates playing games with a real foreign threat, is their tendency to telegraph our potential diplomatic and/or strategic intentions, while bashing their own nation's leadership. Funny, you don't see members of the Iranian government publicly criticizing President Ahmadinejad during a "crisis", or telegraphing their strategic intentions for a world audience…. Directly addressing General Petraeus, Obama said,

I think that increased pressure in a measured way, in my mind, and this is where we disagree, includes a timetable for withdrawal. Nobody is asking for a precipitous withdrawal. We all have the greatest interest in seeing a successful resolution to Iraq. I continue to believe that the original decision to go into Iraq was a massive strategic blunder, that the two problems you pointed out, Al-Qaeda in Iraq and increased Iranian influence in the region are a direct result of that original decision. That's not a decision you gentlemen made. I will not lay it at your feet. You are cleaning up the mess afterwards.

Now that Iran knows what Obama is pressuring the Bush Administration to adhere to a campaign pledge, despite the fact he is one mere senator, he continues to posture on the world stage, playing a dangerous game at a time when a united American message is needed most. Should he become president, we'll see how he likes being back-doored.