Nov 20, 2006 6:00 pm US/Central
Obama Urges Gradual Withdrawal From Iraq
by Jay Levine
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama believes American troops should begin withdrawing from Iraq within six months.
CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports on a major policy address and the Obama timetable to decide on a run for the White House.
"Americans were originally persuaded by the president to go to war in part because of the threat of weapons of mass destruction and in part because they were told that it would help reduce the threat of international terrorism. Neither turned out to be true," Obama said.
The senator has advocated starting to withdraw U.S. troops before but hadn't set a deadline until Monday.
"A phased redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq on a timetable that would begin in four to six months," Obama said.
At the same time we withdraw fighting forces, he proposes we intensify training and expanding U.S. advisers for Iraqi forces.
He also wants to tie economic aid to political progress and engage Iran and Syria in negotiations toward a solution. Iraq has taught us a number of lessons, he said.
"The first is that we should be modest in our belief that we can impose democracy on a country by military force," Obama said.
The huge turnout for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs event, both in members and media, spoke of Obama's appeal and the people's interest in a decision that he'll make once and for all about a possible White House run in 2008.
"At the point where I've made a decision, we will have the support of people all across the country," he said.
Obama said he would make that decision after the first of the year.
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