Obama visit fails to woo war-weary Iraqis

Several Iraqi civilians quizzed by AFP said they were doubtful whether Obama could make a difference despite the senator vowing to pull out the bulk of US troops from Iraq by mid-2010 if he takes office next year.      

"This proclamation is a mere political stunt," said Abu Ali, 43, a resident of Baghdad's Sadr City, a stronghold of anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.     

"The American policy would not change with the change in the president, especially the military policy, which is planned by far-sighted commanders," the cigarette seller said.     

Sadr and his followers from Iraqi Shiite areas, including Sadr City, have strongly opposed the presence of American troops since the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime in April 2003.      

Today, Obama arrived in Iraq as part of a Congressional delegation for a fact-finding tour to assess the latest on the ground situation in the country.      

He has pledged to declare an end to the Iraq war from the first day of his presidency if he wins in November, and to withdraw most US combat troops within 16 months of entering the White House.      

Obama, who voted against the March 2003 war to topple Saddam, visited Iraq in 2006 and is returning at a time when violence has fallen to a four-year low