Embassy Row

No timetable

The Iraqi ambassador is reluctant to discuss the U.S. presidential campaign, even though the fate of his country hinges on the outcome of the November election.

Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have publicly pledged to withdraw troops if either wins the White House. Republican Sen. John McCain insists on keeping U.S. forces in Iraq until they defeat insurgents and terrorists and stabilize the country, even if American troops are there for a hundred years.

Ambassador Samir Sumaida’ie told editors and reporters at The Washington Times this week that he thinks no responsible political leader would actually set a timetable for withdrawing troops after winning the presidency.

“Any responsible U.S. official will have to think long and hard before abandoning Iraq. I do not believe that any of them would [set a timetable] when they weigh up the situation,” he said, though he did not mention Mr. Obama, from Illinois, or Mrs. Clinton, from New York, by name.

Mr. Sumaida’ie argued that his government is making progress and that the U.S. troop surge has provided a new level of security for the nation, though he conceded that Iraq is far from a stable nation and needs vast amounts of international aid.

“The fact is that we have made progress. We were at the brink of civil war, and we came back,” he said. “We are now on an upward spiral.”

Nevertheless, life for the average Iraqi remains hazardous, and many take extensive precautions just to avoid being targeted by terrorists as they go to work. He said diplomats at the Foreign Ministry often arrive wearing old clothes and looking like beggars, then change into suits when they get inside the building.

“Officials come to work in the morning and do not know whether they will make it through the day,” he said. “These are the conditions under which we work.”

The ambassador said Iraqis are thankful for the sacrifice made by U.S. troops and think Americans will show more support for the war if they see more victories.

“Americans don’t like to fail,” he said. “When they smell success, they will go forward.”

He added that continued U.S. advances and the growing strength of Iraqi forces will change the political atmosphere before the U.S. election.

“If things go as we expect, I don’t think any of the candidates will be reaching for the exit,” he said.

Mr. Sumaida’ie travels frequently throughout the United States to explain that a stable Iraq is important to American security.

“I speak to anybody who invites me,” he said. “I find Americans to be fair-minded and willing to listen, even if they are opposed to the war.”

Unexpected life

Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III has some advice for young people: Work hard, study and keep out of politics.

Mr. Baker, a political insider for decades, never followed his own counsel, and his exploits in and out of government enriched his life and contributed to American history.

This week the Council of American Ambassadors, a group of retired political appointees, honored Mr. Baker for his work by giving him the Benjamin Franklin Award for Outstanding Diplomatic Speech, our correspondent Ann Geracimos reports.

Mr. Baker, secretary of state under President George H.W. Bush, responded with a few words, calling climate change “a serious problem we can’t ignore” and warning against “a growing isolationist protectionist sentiment.”

Nothing “exceeds our capacity to forge solutions,” he said. “We can do it, but we can’t do it alone.”

Mr. Baker, campaign manager for Mr. Bush’s unsuccessful presidential primary race in 1980 and for President Ronald Reagan’s re-election in 1984, describes his political career in his memoir, “Work Hard, Study … and Keep Out of Politics: Adventures and Lessons from an Unexpected Public Life.”

• Call Embassy Row at 202/636-3297, fax 202/832-7278 or e-mail jmorrison@washingtontimes.com.