Iraqi Gov't Leaders Fear Obama?

In our final segment with McClatchy Baghdad Bureau Chief, Leila Fadel
we discuss the feasibility of the U.S. withdrawing from Iraq by 2011
and what could be expected if they do.

"With
this new agreement, so much will change," says Fadel although she does
note that this is conditional upon the Arab version of the agreement
being honored. According to Fadel this agreement will no longer
require Iraq to uphold any pretense of respect for the U.S. stating,
"There is no promise that Iraq will stay a friendly nation when we
leave."

With the new American president on the door step of the White
House, Fadel says historically Iraq has always felt that "the face of
the American White House changes but the policy never does." With
President elect Obama this may not be the case. She feels that "the
Iraqi government is very afraid, very afraid because under the Bush
administration they had almost a blank cheque policy" which garnered
them the support of a Bush administration who in this new agreement
"negotiated as if they were the weaker power."

With the new President, Fadel says "They (Iraq) won't have
unconditional support," and she believes that the new presidency was
"part of the reason they had to sign this (agreement) and get it
through and finished."

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Leila Fadel, Chief of McClatchy's Baghdad Bureau reports on Iraq