The presumptive Democratic nominee said they also discussed the need to engage countries surrounding Iraq.
"The minister, I think, frankly stated that Iraq's neighbors have not always been helpful in the process, but he is working diligently to try to engage them more effectively. I gave him an assurance that should we be elected, an Obama administration will make sure that we continue with the progress that's been made in Iraq, that we won't act precipitously, but that we will move to end U.S. combat forces in Iraq in a manner that's as careful as we were careless getting in," Obama said.
Asked if there's any flexibility on how troop withdrawal would play out, Obama repeated his longstanding belief that U.S. troops can be removed from Iraq "at a pace of one to two brigades per month."
"At that pace we would have our combat troops out in approximately 16 months. I've also consistently said that I will consult with military commanders on the ground and that we will always be open to the possibility of tactical adjustments. The important thing is to send a clear signal to the Iraqi people and most importantly to the Iraqi leadership that the U.S. occupation in Iraq is finite, it is going to be coming to a foreseeable end," he said.
Asked by ABC News if Zebari expressed any concern that the withdrawal of U.S. troops under an Obama administration would undo any security gains, Obama said Zebari did not raise that issue.
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