“US weakened itself by war in Iraq”

The US overstretched their military and defense budget, said Andrey Sushentsov, a political analyst from the Moscow State University of International relations.

But in terms of the country’s place on the international arena, the election of Barack Obama has reinforced the United States’ position, he believes.

Anti-war protesters from across the United States are gathering in Washington D.C. to mark the sixth anniversary of the war in Iraq.

They’re planning to march to the Pentagon and then go to the offices of nearby defense contractors demanding immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq.