What Iraqis Believe

Seems to me, there's lots of room for Obama to make significant diplomatic headway. We're seen as world conquerors. I'm sure Bush McCain see us as world conquerors too, or what did Bush call it? Oh, yeah, freedom marching. 

Time: Indeed, while many Iraqis say they like Obama, few are optimistic about the difference he can make for their country as a result of his one-day visit, or even as President. "They are all the same — Democrats and Republicans, their agenda is the same, and that is to exert American control all over the world," says Nasir al-Saadi, a parliamentarian in the Sadrist movement, which is fiercely opposed to what it sees as the U.S. occupation of Iraq. In the central Baghdad neighborhood of Mansour, local Sunni community leaders — and political enemies of the Sadrists — say much of the same thing. "American policy does not depend on the President. When a new President comes up, he just continues the pre-set policy," says Sunni Awakening leader Ahmed Bassam. Although Obama reportedly discussed the future of the U.S. troop presence in Iraq with Prime Minister Maliki, Bassam remains skeptical. "American policy for Iraq was probably set 20 years ago," he says. "So I don't think American forces are going to leave. But maybe small things will change. Obama said on TV that if he wins the election, he will designate $2 billion for Iraqi refugees outside Iraq."