Obama arrives in Iraq

US presidential contender Barack Obama has arrived in Iraq where he will meet American commanders and troops in a war he has long opposed.

Mr Obama is expected to meet General David Petraeus as well as Iraqi prime minister Nouri Maliki while in the country, although aides provided few details, citing security concerns.

Mr Obama arrived today as part of a congressional delegation that also included Senators Jack Reed, and Chuck Hagel, following stops in Kuwait and Afghanistan.

The delegation met yesterday in Kuwait City with Kuwait's emir, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, and other senior officials.

All three are longtime critics of the US involvement in the war in Iraq.