Busy first day in office likely to see Iraq war back in spotlight

ALTHOUGH he may not get to bed before 3am, Barack Obama plans to make his first full day as president on Wednesday a jam-packed affair of prayer, diplomacy, war discussions and welcoming hundreds of visitors to the White House.

Obama has deliberately raised Wednesday’s symbolic importance, citing various things he would do on “Day One” of his administration. Scores of special interest groups have jumped in, imploring him to enact this or that policy right away.

Perhaps no one will be watching more intently than the anti-war activists who backed Obama from the start because of his promise to extract US forces from Iraq, a conflict that has lasted nearly six years.