The New York Times has summarized presidential candidate views on Iraq, at http://www.nytimes.com/ref/us/politics/IRAQPOSITIONS.html.
I know that invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East and encourage the worst rather than best impulses in the Arab world and strengthen the recruitment arm of al Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars, I am opposed to dumb wars. – 2002 speech to Illinois legislature
I’m introducing the Iraq War De-escalation Act of 2007. This plan would not only place a cap on the number of troops in Iraq and stop the escalation, more importantly, it would begin a phased redeployment of U.S. forces with the goal of removing of all U.S. combat forces from Iraq by March 31st, 2008 – consistent with the expectations of the bipartisan Iraq study group that the President has so assiduously ignored. – January 2007 speech on the Senate floor
Obama’s views on Iraq should be an important aspect of his campaign because the American public is frustrated and he was opposed to the war from the beginning. Unlike Hilary and Edwards, Obama’s greatest competitors for the Democratic nomination, Obama’s views on the war have not changed depending on political feelings throughout the U.S.
