USA Obama to speak on Martin Luther King anniversary 28/08/08 14:03 CET

He has promised change. And that is what war veterans who marched on the site of the Democratic National Convention in the American city of Denver want – a swift pullout of US forces from Iraq.

Barack Obama has always opposed the war in Iraq.
But some believe he has recently softened his stance on the timing of a troop withdrawal.

The first African-American presidential nominee of a major US political party will speak later today at Denver’s open-air football stadium.

For many, Obama embodies the American dream and that of Martin Luther King. And his speech today comes on the 45th anniversary of the assassinated civil rights leader’s famous “I Have a Dream” address.

It is widely seen as an expression of America’s highest aspirations of equality and justice. While Obama has made a point of not emphasising his race, many Democrats see his campaign as a step towards bridging the country’s racial divide.