While most Americans are distracted with the extra marital affairs of politicians, the sentencing of a greedy investment banker and death of a pop star we have forgotten about Iraq.

Remember when the newspapers and major networks carried the daily death toll in Iraq? Remember when we passed 1,000 deaths then 2,000 and so on? Well we have as of yesterday passed the 5,000 deaths mark with four soldiers being killed in Iraq.  A milestone missed by the New York Times and CNN.

So what has changed? Administrations – we now have President Obama making the decisions.

I met with a confidential source that just returned from Iraq and asked him about what is going on. We know there has been a shift in focus from Iraq to Afghanistan but how has that changed what it going on in Iraq. Will this change in focus take our eyes off the ball in Iraq and make what we have done meaningless? Will we have to go back in after we have left to restore stability in this key country? Here are the key points my source made to me:

• U.S. Forces will be drawn down but more on paper than in reality. American boots will remain on the ground for some time even with the 2011 redeployment date in mind.
• The U.S. is committed to seeing national elections in Iraq in December 2009.
• The U.S. is backing President Nouri al-Maliki and his government. The idea being he has done a good job so far so why change horses in mid stream.
• The green zone is turning into the “amber zone” with Iraqi forces manning key check points and select roads opening to civilian traffic. This poses the possibility for more direct attacks on Americans and our military.
• There is a clear transfer of resources from Iraq to Afghanistan. Men and materiel are moving east to the main battle.
• The U.S. will attack Al Qaeda in Pakistan if necessary to win in Afghanistan. America will do what the Pakistan Army either cannot or will not do.
• With U.S. Forces moving back into large base camps and off the streets of Baghdad and the provinces our troops become easier targets for rocket and mortar attack.
• If the security situation allows for elections in December 2009 that is a good sign. If President al-Maliki delays the elections that is a bad sign.
• Muqtada al-Sadr and his militia have been quiet. He knows that if he causes problems his health and well being are at stake. Al-Sadr spends most of his time in Iran, returning periodically for a day or two to show the flag.

My concern is President Obama will be so focused on winning in Afghanistan that he will lose the momentum and all the progress made in Iraq. To date President Obama’s foreign affairs record is poor to dangerous. He has let “a good crisis in Iran go to waste” with his support of the Mullahs. He has been feckless with North Korea that is about to launch a missile at Pearl Harbor. And most recently he has supported the return to power of a Communist in Honduras, going against the will of the Hondurans.

President Obama seems bent on appeasing the aggressors, which emboldens them. He looks the other way at oppression in Iran using the excuse that he does not want to meddle, yet he meddles in Honduras. President Obama’s foreign policy appears similar with that of Lord Chamberlain. Sad but true.