Real threat lies in Afghanistan, rather than Iraq: Obama

Washington, Aug 29 (PTI) Describing U.S. President George W Bush's war on terror as "flawed", Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama Friday said while America has got bogged down in Iraq, the real threat to Washington's interest remained at large in Afghanistan.

Asserting that he intended to end the war in Iraq
"responsibly", Obama, the first African-American to have a
shot at the White House said his security policies would be
aimed at finishing the fight against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban
in Afghanistan.

In his Democratic Presidential candidature acceptance
speech at Denver, Obama launched a scathing attack on his
Republican foe John McCain, saying he was supporting the war
in Iraq while the real threat to American interest remained at
large in Afghanistan, in a direct reference to elusive
Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden.

"I will end this war in Iraq responsibly and finish the
fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan," the
Illinois Senator told a jampacked audience at the Democratic
National Convention.

He outlined that he intended to renew "tough, direct
diplomacy to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and
curb Russian aggression". Obama also made it clear that U.S.
armed forces would be "rebuilt to meet future conflicts".

The Democratic candidate said while he had called for
more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists "who
attacked us on 9-11" McCain had sought "to muddle through in
Afghanistan."

"John McCain likes to say he will follow bin Laden to the
gates of Hell -- but he won't even go to the cave where he
lives," Obama said. PTI