Straten: Obama in Iraq Shows He's Not Ready for Presidency

Senator Barak Obama's trip to Iraq and Afghanistan has demonstrated that he is ill prepared to be President, according to Roland Straten, Republican candidate for Congress from NJ's 8th District.

"By publicly agreeing with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in matters under negotiation between Iraq and the United States, he is undermining the Administration and this country," says Straten. "I'm appalled."

In widely covered news reports, Senator Obama has sided with Prime Minister Maliki regarding the withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq. The matter is under intense negotiations between the two allies.

"In negotiations you don't give away bargaining chips. It's elementary," says Straten. "By giving Maliki the opportunity to manipulate his remarks he is either showing his naiveté or worse, trying to court public approval at the expense of the interests of the country. Either way, he is showing he is not ready to be commander in chief."

Straten believes that understanding how to be a formidable negotiator is at the core of international relations. He notes that each nation negotiates from its strength and makes compromises to reach agreements. Having others commenting publicly and agreeing with the other party upon very complicated, sensitive negotiating points gives advantages to the opposition, he observes.

"I know better than to do that, and I think most Americans do, as well, in their own dealings with others, says Straten. "I find it hard to believe that Obama doesn't understand this."

Straten is also having difficulty with Obama's refusal to acknowledge the success of the surge. Obama has commented that security is better in Iraq. He was adamantly against the troop surge strategy, the success of which most credit as the reason for the improved security. Instead, he attributes it to other factors such as Sunni tribes leaders turning against al Qaeda.

"Every factor he indicates as responsible for better security, better trained Iraq's for instance, came about because of the surge," says Straten. "It is virtually acknowledged by everyone, but he won't admit the obvious. He praises the troops but won't give them credit for what they accomplished!"

Obama has met with U.S. region commander General Petraeus and announced that both agree that US combat troops should be withdrawn from Iraq. However, Obama favors an announced deadline for the end of a phased withdrawal, while Petraeus, the architect of the troop surge, warns about the need to be flexible to respond to changing situations.

"Obama supposedly went to Iraq to learn, even though he announced his strategy before going," says Straten. "But when General Petraeus says we need to remain flexible, he disagrees. A president needs to keep his options open. It doesn't seem like he is learning."

Obama and Petraeus also appear to agree on the need to step up US combat activity in Afghanistan.

"Obama is expounding upon the obvious when he talks about reinforcing efforts in Afghanistan, yet he won't acknowledge that success in Iraq will make it possible," Straten says about Obama's comments. "As president he would not have employed the strategy that is winning the war; he has clearly demonstrated that he is not ready to be the leader of the free world."