Obama tried to sway Iraqis on Bush deal

"Mr. Obama's conversations with the Iraqi leaders, confirmed to The Washington Times by his campaign aides, began just two weeks after he clinched the Democratic presidential nomination in June and stirred controversy over the appropriateness of a White House candidate's contacts with foreign governments while the sitting president is conducting a war.

"Some of the specifics of the conversations remain the subject of dispute. Iraqi leaders purported to The Times that Mr. Obama urged Baghdad to delay an agreement with Mr. Bush until next year when a new president will be in office - a charge the Democratic campaign denies."

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"'In the conversation, the senator urged Iraq to delay the [memorandum of understanding] between Iraq and the United States until the new administration was in place,' said Samir Sumaidaie, Iraq's ambassador to the United States.

"He said Mr. Zebari replied that any such agreement would not bind a new administration. 'The new administration will have a free hand to opt out,' he said the foreign minister told Mr. Obama.