Obama, Maliki, and Iraq

Barack Obama's recently concluded trip to Iraq has generated -- to put it mildly -- a fair amount of press coverage. Even more explosive was Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki's vocal -- and interestingly timed -- support for a
quick exit of American troops, which has been interpreted as a de facto endorsement of Obama's Iraq policy. In The Guardian, Michael Tomasky goes so far as to call this development "the biggest story of the election campaign so far." While Maliki was clearly paying attention to his timing, Iraqis themselves, according to the Los Angeles Times, are not quite as hyped up about Obama's presence as one might expect.

Iraqis tend to be jaundiced about American politics and skeptical that the differences between the presidential candidates have anything to do with them.

"If either McCain or Obama visits Iraq, it would be for campaign purposes, and therefore at this point in time it won't have any effect on the situation in Iraq," said Khalil Ibrahim, 34, a perfume shop owner.

Ibrahim here voices greater insight into American politics than have many commentators in the U.S. of late. Yes, Obama will likely gain some useful information from the trip -- though there is little indication that visiting Iraq will significantly alter his, or any other politician's, overall view of the war. And yes, he will now be able to buttress his foreign policy credentials by claiming that he has been "on the ground" -- though, again, it's questionable how much he can actually gain from a day and a half in the country, tailed by journalists.

Ultimately, however, we must remember that the origins of this trip were political. Obama is responding to a challenge from John McCain, seeking to disarm his rival of the rhetorical tactic of being able to say, essentially, "Oh yeah? Well I've been there!" That a trans-Atlantic trip to a war zone can be transformed into just another strategy in the two-dimensional foreign policy debate is a regrettable, but unsurprising, aspect of American political campaigning.

We must also remember, of course, that Prime Minister Maliki's moves stem from equally political calculations. Iraq, too, will hold elections this fall, and conventional wisdom suggests that, if your population is largely opposed to something -- say, American military presence in your country -- then in the run-up to an election, you should probably come out against that policy as well.

That Maliki chose to so clearly articulate his position on the issue at the very moment that an American presidential candidate is visiting his country is, of course, curious. While Maliki must feel more influence now than he has in a long time, if we are to take the policy out of the politics, what remains more important is the stance of the Iraqi people.

Plus, Senator Obama may still feel that he's received enough foreign endorsements.