Obama, Iraq and American Foreign Policy

Let's be serious. Obama is not going to take US troops out of Iraq, despite his primary season rhetoric. He will leave 40-60,000 troops in place to protect Saudi Oil fields, American interests, to continue "hunting down terrorists" and to threaten Iran.

He will not be the president to simply give up a trillion dollar, decade long enterprise to establish American hegemony in the Middle East, as the Iraq war has accomplished. The Middle East is the new Europe of 1945, and America will be staying for at least another 100 years, one way or another.

Obama has said as much, and the coming trip to Iraq will introduce him to the US commanders on the ground, and Iraqi politicians, who will "convince him" that "a small, limited, but long term US presence is necessary".

This was the policy of the Bush Administration in March 2003, except they thought they could get back down to this level by Christmas.

You are naive if you think there is a REAL difference between Obama and McCain on foreign policy. Listen to what Samantha Power said before she was booted for saying too much. The campaign sent her to Europe where she was telling stunned socialists that there will be no change in American foreign policy, but now Europe will be forced to contribute troops and money.

Obama will not change US foreign policy; he will simply provide a fresh face and a more effective message delivery.

He said last year that he is willing to invade and nuke Pakistan if necessary. This is your progressive champion?

It seems from the outside that a US President can do whatever he wants on the world stage. However, in reality, the course of American foreign policy is dictated by events and static interests - national security, military primacy, global economic liberalization, etc.