ISTANBUL, Turkey - President Obama concluded his inaugural overseas tour Tuesday after presenting to the world a starkly different image of the United States than his predecessor had, returning home from encounters with exuberant U.S. troops in Iraq, fawning crowds in Europe and Turkey, and foreign leaders who welcomed a new partnership with the country but did little to support its goals.
Obama left Istanbul shortly after 2 p.m. local time and made an unannounced stop in Baghdad, where he addressed U.S. troops and received a briefing from Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander of American forces in Iraq. He also met with President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during the several-hour stop, his first visit to the country as president.
Throughout his trip abroad, Obama portrayed a proud but flawed United States, using a refrain of humility and partnership in an attempt to rally allies around such issues of mutual concern as the global economy, climate change and nuclear proliferation. He talked about the nation's "darker periods" of slavery and repression of Native Americans, and its past sanction of torture that he has ended. He also spoke with pride about the United States' diversity and its central role in rebuilding post-World War II Europe, while condemning "anti-Americanism that is at once casual but can also be insidious."
Obama portrays another side of U.S. - Washington Post- msnbc.com
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