Iraq Has Distracted America - Obama

Speaking this morning on the NBC Today show, Barack Obama again said that Iraq has distracted America from the real war on terrorism.

Obama was responding to the recent report on the confessions of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed that he masterminded the attacks on 9/11 and other worldwide plots that killed thousands.

Obama said that the Bush Administration had neglected to fight the real war on terror, by pursuing a failed strategy in Iraq. He again stated that there will not be a military solution in Iraq, the only way forward is through pursuing political options.

There is need to divert troops currently in Iraq to Afghanistan, where the kinds of terrorist plots Khalid Sheikh Mohammed organized have been hatched.

Barack Obama also said of Attorney General Gonzales that he has had a tendency to inject politics into decision making and that he is too close to the president. He said that this was an example of the continuing process of politicization and a lack of accountability in the Administration.

Obama was also asked about personal lives intruding into the campaign, such as questions over the former marriages of Rudy Giuliani. Obama said that he believes that people will make decisions on basis of track record, that everybody has personal issues, and what is more important is what are you, as a candidate going to do for the people of America.

Barack Obama also said that he would "absolutely not" use personal issues to attack other candidates.