World › Obama says he's committed to ending Iraq war

Sunday 06th July, 06:27 AM JST WASHINGTON — Barack Obama denied Saturday that he intends to do anything but end the war if he wins the White House, attempting to put an end to speculation that he is inching away from a promise to withdraw combat troops within 16 months of taking office. Though frequently overshadowed by voters’ concerns about the sputtering U.S. economy, the Iraq conflict has emerged as a key difference between Obama and Republican rival John McCain. Obama has called the war a mistake and McCain has strongly supported keeping troops in the country. The Democrat’s comments to reporters on his campaign plane come on the heels of controversy earlier in the week after he indicated that his talks with military commanders during an upcoming visit to Iraq could refine his promise to remove U.S. combat troops.... [read full story]