ABC: Obama, commanders have ‘open disagreement’ over timetables

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ABC’s Terry Moran reports that Obama has an “open disagreement” with commanders in Iraq over a timetable for withdrawal. Moran said that Obama agreed to discuss the disagreement candidly.

Obama said, “I would characterize the concerns differently. I don’t think that they’re deep concerns about the notion of a pullout per se. There are deep concerns about — from their perspective — a timetable that doesn’t take into account what they anticipate might be some sort of changing conditions. And this is what I mean when I say we play differe roles. My job is to think about the national security interests as a whole and to have to weigh and balance risks in Afghanistan and Iraq. Their job is just to get the job done here and I completely understand that. ”

Obama told Moran that he would still oppose the surge if he had it to over again.

This video is from ABC’s Nightlink, broadcast July 21, 2008.

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