Cheney Reinforces U.S. Role In Afghanistan

Vice President Meets With Afghan Leader; Wants More NATO Help For War-Torn Nation

(AP)  The United States will ask NATO countries to step up their commitment to help Afghanistan recover from years of tyranny and war, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said Thursday.

"We believe the commitment needs to continue and perhaps needs to be reinforced," Cheney said on a visit to Afghanistan's capital.

Standing beside Afghan President Hamid Karzai at a news conference, the vice president also said neighboring Pakistan has an obligation to battle insurgent activity along the border between the two countries.

He said the Pakistani government, like Karzai's, is a target for al Qaeda and other extremists. "They have as big a stake as anyone else," he said.

Cheney's remarks came after he met with Karzai at the Afghan leader's palace to discuss ways the country's fragile government can counter rising threats from al Qaeda and Taliban militants.

"During the last six years, the people of Afghanistan have made a bold, confident journey, throwing off the burden of tyranny and winning your freedom," he said with a nod to Karzai. "The process has been difficult, but the courage of the nation has been unwavering."

He said there has been remarkable progress in improving security forces and rebuilding in the country even as it struggles in a continuing war with insurgents.

Karzai also hailed progress, saying the Afghan army was getting stronger "day by day," but adding that international support will be needed for years to come.

As for his own political future, Karzai declined to say whether he will seek another term as president in elections scheduled next year. He said he wants to leave a legacy of strong political leaders in Afghanistan's future and that perhaps he could best achieve that by not running for re-election.

Cheney flew to the Afghan capital from Oman and took a helicopter straight to the presidential palace, where he greeted Karzai with a hearty handshake. The two strolled down a red carpet together, reviewing troops before heading inside the palace for their talks.

Reporters were not allowed to disclose Cheney's visit until he had arrived safely. It is Cheney's fourth vice presidential trip to Afghanistan. Cheney, who is on a 10-day foreign trip, visited Iraq earlier this week.

More than 8,000 people died in fighting in Afghanistan last year, making it the most violent year since 2001, when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan to oust the hard-line Taliban regime after the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States. Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is believed to be hiding in rugged, mountainous areas along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

Cheney spokeswoman Lea Ann McBride said U.S. President George W. Bush asked Cheney to meet with Karzai in advance of a NATO summit next month in Romania.

Problems in Afghanistan will be a key topic at the NATO summit. NATO has about 43,000 troops in Afghanistan, but commanders have asked for more in areas of southern Afghanistan where the insurgency is the most active.

Troops from Canada, Britain, the Netherlands and the United States have done the majority of the fighting against Taliban militants. Forces from France, Spain, Germany and Italy are stationed in more peaceful parts of the country.

Canada, which has 2,500 troops in Kandahar province, recently threatened to end its combat role unless other NATO countries provide an additional 1,000 troops to help the anti-Taliban effort there. Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay said he expected a pledge for troops before or during the April 2-4 NATO summit.

The U.S. contributes one-third of the NATO force, and also has about 12,000 other U.S. troops operating independently from NATO. The Pentagon says that by late summer, there will be about 32,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan - up from about 28,000 now.

An official who briefed reporters during the trip from Oman to Afghanistan said Cheney wanted to compare notes with Karzai to make the NATO summit a success.

[prinzowhales]

Americans lack the courage of French workers.

[prinzowhales]

Americans who by and large ignored Paul and Kucinich--the candidates for real change--refuse to unionize and have been led down the road of empire for the last five years are not going to strike. The dumb animals have knocked all of the candidates out of the race who opposed NAFTA and open borders...

...A strike would be great...a general strike would be better...But, for the most part, Americans have chosen to be the arse-licking dogs of the Establishment and are better than Englishmen at keeping their masters'' arses squeaky clean.

[forthepeopl1]

TO EVERYONE,

WE THE PEOPLE DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO SHUT THIS GOVERNMENT DOWN. AND THEIR IS A WAY TO MAKE OUR GOVERNEMNT STOP IN THIER TRACKS..

THE GREAT AMERICAN WALK OUT..THATS RIGHT FOR 3 OR 4 DAYS LIKE A THURSDAY THRU MONDAY..EVERY AMERICAN IN THIS COUNTRY DO NOTHING...I MEAN NOTHING BUT STAY HOME AND ENJOY THE FAMILY. ALL TRUCK,TRAIN,PLAINS,EVERYONE CAN AFFORD TO TAKE A FEW SICK DAYS FOR THIS..

IN ONLY A FEW DAYS OF NOTHING MOVEING IN THIS COUNTRY WOULD TELL CONGRESS AND THE WHITEHOUSE WHO REALLY RUNS THIS COUNTRY..THATS US AMERICANS... SO WHEN WOULD BE A GOOD DAY TO START THIS..

AND I MEAN IT DONT BUY ANYTHING....DO ANYTHING...DONT GO ANYWERE TO SPEND A DIME...

IT WOULD PUT THIS COUNTRY ON ITS KNEES..LIKE WE SHOULD

the great american STIKE.................

[e-mail]


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[rickstas]

What a *****!!!

[liberalme]

liberalme, go get a job,,,quit wasting your time on here with your childish comments...go make yourself useful to the country

Posted by jwind11 at 07:57 AM : Mar 20, 2008

Awww jwind(bag) your suppositions make you appear to be an azz--I posted before work this am--and am still at work-on break.

But thanks for being concerned for my well being--however your personality might not be so nasty if you took some of your own advice-get a job--you might learn enough to post some quazi-intelligent information, but right now sweetie--your postings make you look like a jerk.
+

[leftyintexas]

Well, not a bushie... But, Dos Equis requires Limes.. Real men don''''t put lime in their beers so, you are just gonna have to be satisfied with Budweiser or IceHouse. And I will enjoy the next 306 days though I have a feeling you will not. I will also enjoy the next 4 yrs of McCains presidency.. Again, somehow I don''''t think you will enjoy it.. But hey, its your own fault for trying to push to idiots through on the dem ticket...

Posted by crusherking at 01:56 PM : Mar 20, 2008

Yeah, your are a bushie all right . YOU bushies are too ashamed to admit it but you are a bushie just the same. Dos Equis does NOT require limes but I guess you weren''t smart enough to figure it out. You won''t be enjoying much of anything the next 8 years or so either. You back losers. You backed Doofus and you bushies have no choice but to back another loser like McCain. You bushies are all losers. 306 days left! Enjoy! Ha!Ha!Ha!

[stn_sage]

Prinzowhales - You MADHAT! It''s too bad he''s not a little mentally deranged and went for it, anyway! Huh?
Yes, it would be interesting to know what he''s thinking?!

[crusherking]

bushie, I LOVE asparagus but prefer Dos Equis to Coors if it''''s all the same to you. Ha!Ha! Only 306 days left! Enjoy!

Posted by leftyintexas


Well, not a bushie... But, Dos Equis requires Limes.. Real men don''t put lime in their beers so, you are just gonna have to be satisfied with Budweiser or IceHouse. And I will enjoy the next 306 days though I have a feeling you will not. I will also enjoy the next 4 yrs of McCains presidency.. Again, somehow I don''t think you will enjoy it.. But hey, its your own fault for trying to push to idiots through on the dem ticket...

[j-whitman]

notblue,,,,, "Democraacy restored" ?????

Sounds like you are trying to call "Mission Accomplished" after 7 years of failed administration policies in the "Forgotten War"

[prinzowhales]

I wonder what the fellow with the sword standing in front of Cheney is thinking?...Perhaps, he''s thinking..."Can I stick this pig before the SS guns me down?"...Too bad we are never going to find out.

[leftyintexas]

Thats ok.. some of us are saving up stockpiles of Asparagus and Coors for your grave. I feel turnabout is only fair play here.

Posted by crusherking at 01:06 PM : Mar 20, 2008

bushie, I LOVE asparagus but prefer Dos Equis to Coors if it''s all the same to you. Ha!Ha! Only 306 days left! Enjoy!

[leftyintexas]

The biggest enemy of freedom is Doofus. Through his stupidity the world is a more dangerous place. He has created more terrorists than Bin Laden. bushies are equally dangerous because they helped bring him and his band of thugs to Washington.

[crusherking]

Yep to a prior post, regarding urinating on graves.

I''''''''m saving two very special bottles of vino. When Bush and Cheney pass away thru natural causes, they will be opened. Sons of satan finally gone. I hope I''''''''m still alive to see this.
Posted by dogband at 11:44 AM : Mar 20, 2008

I''''m going all out! Champagne the last day of Doofus in the White House. When he dies, I''''m hiring a bunch of illegals in Crawford to p-e-e on his grave for me. He''''s not worth the drive time to get there.

Posted by leftyintexas


Thats ok.. some of us are saving up stockpiles of Asparagus and Coors for your grave. I feel turnabout is only fair play here.

[usbrit-2009]

notblue - the point is that if we''d stayed in Afghanistan and mopped up the remnants of the taliban rather than going on to Iraq "the militants (who) have been causing unrest via suicide bombings and numerous other attrocities" would not be there to cause mayhem. Many past military leaders, including Hitler, Churchill (with Gallipoli in WWI), Napoleon, Alexander the Great received their comeuppance by trying to succeed on two fronts at the same time. The only reason Churchill survived politically is because he got the hell out before complete disaster ensued, after which everything was concentrated on the war in France.

[forthepeopl1]

TO EVERYONE,

WE THE PEOPLE DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO SHUT THIS GOVERNMENT DOWN. AND THEIR IS A WAY TO MAKE OUR GOVERNEMNT STOP IN THIER TRACKS..

THE GREAT AMERICAN WALK OUT..THATS RIGHT FOR 3 OR 4 DAYS LIKE A THURSDAY THRU MONDAY..EVERY AMERICAN IN THIS COUNTRY DO NOTHING...I MEAN NOTHING BUT STAY HOME AND ENJOY THE FAMILY. ALL TRUCK,TRAIN,PLAINS,EVERYONE CAN AFFORD TO TAKE A FEW SICK DAYS FOR THIS..

IN ONLY A FEW DAYS OF NOTHING MOVEING IN THIS COUNTRY WOULD TELL CONGRESS AND THE WHITEHOUSE WHO REALLY RUNS THIS COUNTRY..THATS US AMERICANS... SO WHEN WOULD BE A GOOD DAY TO START THIS..

AND I MEAN IT DONT BUY ANYTHING....DO ANYTHING...DONT GO ANYWERE TO SPEND A DIME...

IT WOULD PUT THIS COUNTRY ON ITS KNEES..LIKE WE SHOULD

the great american STIKE.................

[e-mail]

[venkata4--2008]

"Since the U.S. removed the Taliban from power and restored Democracy to Afghanistan the militants have been causing unrest via suicide bombings and numerous other attrocities. Knowing these facts it is always dissapointing to listen the majority of posters blame Americas president aan Americas policies without a single word spoken regarding the enemies of freedom in Afghanistan and the greater world. Obviously here at leftwing central blaming the good guys is preferrable to blaming the modern worlds true enemies. What a bunch of ingrates!

Posted by notblue at 12:42 PM : Mar 20, 2008"

Shall we just step back and look how Afghanistan problem is created.

In late seventies Najeebulla was made president of Afghanistan with Soviets help, US wants to settle score with Soviet Russia and used Pakistan as training grounds. Alleged involvement of CIA, ISA of Briton, ISI of Pakistan & Mossad helped Mujahideens to fight Soviet Russia a gorilla war. Once Soviet Russia collapsed they with drew after 9000 troops loss and then US left then with all training infrastructure and money from Saudi(Sunni country), Pakistan (Sunni dominated) wanted Sunni control before Iran trained northern forces took over. So they trained and sent Taliban. It is US creation from the beginning. Since 5 years they are trying correct it, still Afghanistan cultivated 80% of worlds popi.

[notblue]

Since the U.S. removed the Taliban from power and restored Democracy to Afghanistan the militants have been causing unrest via suicide bombings and numerous other attrocities. Knowing these facts it is always dissapointing to listen the majority of posters blame Americas president aan Americas policies without a single word spoken regarding the enemies of freedom in Afghanistan and the greater world. Obviously here at leftwing central blaming the good guys is preferrable to blaming the modern worlds true enemies. What a bunch of ingrates!

[leftyintexas]

Yep to a prior post, regarding urinating on graves.

I''''m saving two very special bottles of vino. When Bush and Cheney pass away thru natural causes, they will be opened. Sons of satan finally gone. I hope I''''m still alive to see this.
Posted by dogband at 11:44 AM : Mar 20, 2008

I''m going all out! Champagne the last day of Doofus in the White House. When he dies, I''m hiring a bunch of illegals in Crawford to p-e-e on his grave for me. He''s not worth the drive time to get there.

[tucano2]

Mr Cheney is a slacker who hid from any military duty. He somehow wound up on top at Halliburton (oil) then because of (oil) became VP. Now are we supposed to accept his assertion he is some kind of military or political strategist? IT''s ABOUT OIL, ONLY.

[usbrit-2009]

The only thing the deomcrats need to concentrate on now is using the film of the fat, self-centered Hermann (the war profiteer) Goring wannabe, scumbag Cheney, saying "SO!" with that reptilian sneer. They should run it and run it with "Compassionate conservatism. Vote Republican for another 4 years of lies, war, economic disaster, apathy and arrogance" as the caption. Cheney and his acolytes are a disgrace to this country, the civilized world, and outside a few dictators who would appreciate their actions, the human race itself.