Did Obama Engage As U.S.-Iraqi Troop Talks Faltered? -- McClatchy NewsBAGHDAD — Throughout the summer and autumn, as talks on a continued U.S. military presence in Iraq foundered, President Barack Obama and his point man on Iraq, Vice President Joe Biden, remained largely aloof from the process, logs released by the U.S. Embassy here suggest.
The omission would be an unusual one, given the high priority U.S. officials had given to achieving an agreement for some sort of residual U.S. presence in Iraq after the Dec. 31 pullout deadline, and the White House labeled the suggestion inaccurate. A spokesman said the logs released by the embassy were incomplete.
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My Comment: When compared to former President Bush who was always in contact with senior Iraqi leaders .... including with Prime Minister Maliki, President Obama's style and approach towards Iraq is definitely different. Did this approach rub the Iraqis the wrong way .... maybe .... but this lack of communications indicates to me a lack of interest from the White House to reach a U.S.-Iraqi security agreement .... that by leaving the negotiations to others the President ended up giving the Iraqis the impression that the U.S. wanted to move on .... which in the end is what the Iraqis have given us.