Obama: Now Is The Time For Iraq Withdrawal

Tells CBS News U.S. Cannot Wait For Next Administration To Make Afghanistan Central Focus Of War On Terror

(CBS)  Senator Barack Obama spent his first day in Afghanistan yesterday visiting the troops, talking to soldiers, and speaking with their commanders. Today he met privately with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan.

After talking to both sides, his assessment is that the situation in Afghanistan is both precarious and urgent. He said that the U.S. has to start planning to put more troops in Afghanistan now.

The following is a transcript of an exclusive interview with the Democratic presidential candidate, who told CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Lara Logan that U.S. troop levels have to increase.

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Obama: "For at least a year now, I have called for two additional brigades, perhaps three," he said. "I think it's very important that we unify command more effectively to coordinate our military activities. But military alone is not going to be enough.

"The Afghan government needs to do more. But we have to understand that the situation is precarious and urgent here in Afghanistan. And I believe this has to be our central focus, the central front, on our battle against terrorism."

Logan: "Why does it have to be the central focus? What is so critical to U.S. interests here?"

Obama: "This is where they can plan attacks. They have sanctuary here. They are gathering huge amounts of money as a consequence of the drug trade in the region. And so that global network is centered in this area. And I think one of the biggest mistakes we've made strategically after 9/11 was to fail to finish the job here, focus our attention here. We got distracted by Iraq.

"And despite what the Bush Administration has argued, I don't think there's any doubt that we were distracted from our efforts not only to hunt down al-Qaeda and the Taliban, but also to rebuild this country so that people have confidence that we were to here to stay over the long haul, that we were going to rebuild roads, provide electricity, improve the quality of life for people. And now we have a chance, I think, to correct some of those areas.

"There's starting to be a broad consensus that it's time for us to withdraw some of our combat troops out of Iraq, deploy them here in Afghanistan. And I think we have to seize that opportunity. Now's the time for us to do it.

"I think what's important for us to do is to begin planning for those brigades now. If we wait until the next administration, it could be a year before we get those additional troops on the ground here in Afghanistan. And I think that would be a mistake. I think the situation is getting urgent enough that we've got to start doing something now.

"The United States has to take a regional approach to the problem. Just as we can't be myopic and focus only on Iraq, we also can't think that we can solve the security problems here in Afghanistan without engaging the Pakistan government."

Logan: "And how do you compel Pakistan to act?"

Obama: "Well, you know, I think that the U.S. government provides an awful lot of aid to Pakistan, provides a lot of military support to Pakistan. And to send a clear message to Pakistan that this is important, to them as well as to us, I think that message has not been sent."

Logan: "Under what circumstances would you authorize unilateral U.S. action against targets inside tribal areas?"

Obama: "What I've said is that if we had actionable intelligence against high-value al-Qaeda targets, and the Pakistani government was unwilling to go after those targets, that we should. My hope is that it doesn't come to that - that in fact, the Pakistan government would recognize that if we had Osama bin Laden in our sights that we should fire or we should capture him."

Logan: "Isn't that the case now? I mean, do you really think that if U.S. forces had Osama bin Laden in their sights and the Pakistanis said 'No,' that they wouldn't fire or wouldn't go after him?"

Obama: "I think actually this is current doctrine. There was some dispute when I said this last August. Both the administration and some of my opponents suggested, 'Well, you know, you shouldn't go around saying that.' But I don't think there's any doubt that that should be our policy."

Logan: "But [not going after him] is the current policy."

Obama: "I believe it is the current policy."

Logan: "So there's no change, then?"

Obama: "I don't think there's going to be a change there. I think that in order for us to be successful, it's not going to be enough just to engage in the occasional shot fired. We've got training camps that are growing and multiplying."

Logan: "Would you take out all those training camps?"

Obama: "Well, I think that what we would like to see the Pakistani government take out those training camps."

Logan: "And if they won't?"

Obama: "Well, I think that we've got to work with them so they will."

Logan: "Would you consider unilateral U.S. action?"

Obama: "I will push Pakistan very hard to make sure that we go after those training camps. I think it's absolutely vital to the security interests for both the United States and Pakistan."

[aharris2615]

"Rumors circulating...845 Billion to Africa?"
=====
Have integrity and stop repeating the unsubstantiated rumors from your mothership: the RMS Rove Titanic. Nice try by changing the topic. Everyone knows what we''ve actually purchased with the blood of 4000 soldiers and a trillion tax dollars that our grandchildren''s grandchildren will have to pay for. We purchased the deaths of hundreds of thousands Iraqi civilians. We purchased the death of one secular dictator who was replaced by several radical Islamic warlords friendly to Iran. Eventually we purchased a puppet regime that still struggles to find it''s credibility beyond the safety of Bahgdad when we keep refusing it''s sovereignty with our continued endless occupation. The Nuri Al Maliki government smells an awful lot like the Nguyen Van Thieu South Vietmanese government of the early 1970s. Dubya''s Iraq war smells too much like Vietnam. WMDs = Gulf of Tonkin = fictions created to give the illusion of enemy aggression. In both cases, hundreds of thousands noncombatant civilian casualties occurred even with our advanced technology. In both cases, "spreading freedom" was used to describe the effort to the public when in members of the government were telling big businesses that the locations were strategically beneficial for obtaining access to vital resources.

The mission (enriching the lives of the elite few sitting atop the military industrial complex aka RNC insiders) has been accomplished. It''s time to come home.

[promaclaura]

patriot12436 Wow, you and your family certainly have earned your right''s as American Citizens. I listen to your word''s and understand where you are coming from. This I can respect, opinions based on the actual experience is what we need more of. Thank you for offsetting the individuals that vent their hate and twist things to continue to feel that hate. People who immerse themselves in self-serving anger get no where fast and always make me wonder how they got to that point. I too do not like some of McCains policies, especially concerning our borders. How will we ever be able to concentrate on protecting our borders if we leave them so porous. Many individuals who do not support the war in Iraq also do not support protecting our borders from illegals. I am willing to give up some of my rights if that means our men and women can stay home. Any tools that we can use to find and deter terror cells here is welcome. We live in a different world today and would rather insure our safety here first, so go ahead and listen in on my phone calls and close the borders. If that is what we need to do to keep our kid''s at home instead of Iraq or Iran, so be it.

[patriot12436]

ProMacLaura
Sorry computer stuck. I am planning to move back to Las Vegas. I lived there before and loved it. Mild winters and hot summers but i prefer heat to cold.
My daughter suffered from over injections from shots from schools. I ended up with $450,000 in doctor bills. She finally out grew it and was just returned from Iraq. She is legally blind, possibly from chemical exposure there. They are still trying to diagnois her but she has already been qualified for disability from ssan. She should be discharged this fall. I am glad she is getting out. I am 100% disabled from Vietnam and my oldest son is 100% disabled from army rangers. I think my family has given enough for our country.

[patriot12436]

ProMacLaura
I am in Thailand now but will be returning to live in Las Vegas to live in September and in time for the elections. I love living here in Thailand. I

[patriot12436]

ProMacLaura
I am in Thailand now but will be returning to live in Las Vegas to live in September and in time for the elections. I love living here in Thailand. I

[patriot12436]

ProMacLaura
I am in Thailand now but will be returning to live in Las Vegas to live in September and in time for the elections. I love living here in Thailand. I

[patriot12436]

proMacLaura
I do not hate bush but i do hope he is tried for war crimes and his assets are impounded and returned tothe treasury. I do not trust obama and do not believe he has good intentions for our country. I do not like to continue the war in Iraq so i disagree with McCain , but i respect him for his record. People say he graduted in the lower portion of his class at the academy, so what, someone has to graduate there. I think just to graduate the academy was an honor. I think McCain is as loyal to our contry as i am, although i disagree with some of his plans, like ammenesty for illegals, and continueing the war in Iraq. We should never have invaded Iraq. It was an internal problem the Iraqui people should have dealt with. They have been fighting for hundreds of years and will continue after we leave. I to if have to choose between obama and mccain will vote mccai.

[andylance1]

It looks like Obama is advocating war with Pakistan again: "I will push Pakistan very hard..."

It will be a case of Br''er Obama and the Tar-Baby. If Obama gets belligerent with Pakistan - it will become a problem that gets worse and worse the more he struggles with it. Unlike Iran, these dudes already have nukes.

[promaclaura]

patriot12436-Thank you for your kind words about my son. Pertaining to your fear for our country and civil war (which is not silly) I agree with you. People are out of hand in the finger-pointing and hate spewing. It is accomplishing nothing but two sides that won''t listen to each other. I voted for Ross Perot the 1st time around and still listen to all candidates that come forward. I like the candidates that tell it how it is, even if they will lose potential voters. The candidates that tell everyone what they want to hear, I''m leary of. So, from the choices we have I will vote for McCain, he has made his platform and chose some very unpopular stances not because he''s stupid but because he believes them. I like Barack''s speeches, but he tells different audiences opposite things to insure their vote and I don''t respect that (nor do I respect his personal affiliations). I know that you do not like either and I hope one day 3rd party candidates have stronger opportunities to win, not insure a victory for Dems or Reps.

[promaclaura]

Posted by komoncents at 12:15 AM : Jul 22, 2008
Your''e still not listening, I''m posting my views not based on my support of President Bush, but my own beliefs which were BEFORE GW went into Iraq. I wanted Saddam removed BEFORE, BEFORE, BEFORE. So your logic that I''m blindly following a liar is nil. What''s funny is I came to my opinion about Saddam from the CBS evening news, 60 minutes and the Clinton Administration (these were my news sources)! The constant news about Saddam, similar to news about Iran today, convinced me he and his government were a nasty lot that killed thousands of his own (the Iraq''s believe he killed close to a million). Also, your fact-finding I''m sure is from the internet where many people constrew opinion with fact. Millions killed by US servicemen, please, they are the one''s killing each other. So your high number quotient placed on our servicemen are just plain wrong. We''ve been the police force protecting them from each other and foreign terrorists. The innocent were killed, it''s to bad that their honorable (ya right) men hid amoungst them and made them the targets. I think that you should take a course in Economics, then you would understand the concept of supply and demand for oil (it''s simple really, 3rd world countries are industrialized now and we are competing with them, that''s called demand, the oil emirates are not producing enough that is the supply). YOUR HATRED OF OUR PRESIDENT IS BLINDING YOU

[obama8years]

OBAMA AND WRIGHT BOTH INVOLVED IN PALSTINE SO CALLED PEACE GROUP. THIS MAN WILL BE DANGEROUS AS PRESIDENT.

If Barack Obama didn%u2019t know about Abunimah%u2019s writings (and Abunimah says he did), the same as his claims of being unaware of Reverend Wright%u2019s remarks after 20 years, then Obama is not competent to be our President. Abunimah likes to lie and claim Al Awda has nothing to do with the ISM or Electronic Intifada, though plenty of evidence exists on the website the homepage at www.StoptheISM.com showing the contrary.

But Obama%u2019s association with the ISM through his church and lobbying in Chicago goes even deeper than just his past links to Al Awda and Ali Abunimah. His pastor, Jeremiah Wright, and the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, are both equally involved with the ISM.

[obama8years]

Looks Like the Liberals are at it Again. 845 Billion to Africa. Where are they going to get the money?

If Cary is right, Senator Barack Hussein Obama''s only major legislative accomplishment as a United States Senator -- which according to some conservative leaders is potentially an $845 billion United Nations give away of your hard-earned tax dollars -- could be coming up for a stealth vote any day now!

Is it really possible that our federal legislators are planning to pass Barack Hussein Obama''s Global Poverty Act while they think we aren''t looking?

Here''s what conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly said:

"Rumors have been circulating around Capitol Hill that a few activist groups have renewed their surge and have begun lobbying full force for a bill introduced by presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). The bill has already passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee without any public hearings, and it also passed the House earlier this year. It is important to note that both of these votes were ''voice votes,'' which was a deliberate strategy of the congressional majority so that no record would be kept of those who voted in favor of this problematic bill."

"While Senator Barack Obama struggles to keep the public in the dark about the nature of his pro-U.N. Global Poverty Act, a recent ''Bay Area Interfaith Leaders'' Luncheon'' was held to lobby for Senate passage of the bill, whose cost has been estimated at $845 billion..."

[obama8years]

With Obama as President and Liberal Nut Nancy Polosi as Speaker there is no stopping this duo from changing america into a soviet style democracy, if there is such thing.

[patriot12436]

ukgod
What i the world are you talking about, You seem to be talking against McCain and obama, yet McCain supports bushs policies. Are you talking for Bush ? Your comment is very confusing.

[ukgod1]

the man went over to Iraq and accomplished what maccain and bush opposed for so many years, now there are back pedaling and trying to discredit his efforts and you people still cant see the obvious. unbelievable, if you are still a maccain supporter do yourself a favor and hang yourself

[patriot12436]

komoncents
You soun like science fiction from the comic books of the 1930''s. People laughed when they drew pictures of an airplane. And look where we are today, still making the same mistakes. People will eventually listen to your reasoning, the question is will they listen before it is too late.

[komoncents]

Vote Dem, vote Rep. In the end it won''t matter much, as whomever we elect will be slaves to corporate masters.

WE THE PEOPLE need to outlaw campaign contributions of any kind, with penalties for violation akin to treason, which it truly is. Anything less and we will continue to have a government for sale to the highest bidder.

Witness a war for oil and military industrial profit.

1984 has arrived.

Vote all incumbents out, then hold war crime trials for genocide and crimes against humanity, imprisoning the entire bush administration and their complicit corporate cronies.

[jntlw-2009]

Iraq wants us to leave, 80% or more of Americans want out of the Iraq fiasco soon, so that is a no brainer. McCain and neocons are still in facistland and so they cannot see the handwritng on the wall, but we will get out in 2 years or less from now. Shame on Cheney/Bush for their facist/imperialist and illegal war in Iraq. May they get their just reward or prison sentence for their actions.

[komoncents]

So many people believe you goose-step with GW if you supported the removal of Saddam ... but to run a campaign of hate against our President which indirectly hurts our men and women in war zones bother''s me alot.
Posted by ProMacLaura at 10:36 PM : Jul 21, 2008

You link subjects through subversion and labeling. No real argument, just twisting of known truths.

According to this one-sided thinking, if you''re a "Bush-hater," then you supported Saddam, hurting our troops. If you see the scheme of inflating oil prices by holding a war using "building democracy" as the justification (the first reasoning was wmd''s) then you are not a patriot.
Calling manipulation of pre-war intelligence, proven by the Downing St memo, lies, thus part of a liberal left wing conspiracy.
If you understand that bush spied on americans in clear violation of the law (an impeachable felony offense) then you support the terrorists.

What a twisted self-delusional world you live in.

"Bush haters," as you call them, are actually citizens (real patriots) who''ve checked the facts and understand the criminality you choose to ignore in your hero-worship loyalty obsession.
And what we hate is the bloodstained hands of all Americans courtesy of the exterminating of women and children by the indiscriminate bombing of city blocks. A million people are dead - does that not affect you in the least?

You''re being played the fool by con men similar to carnival shills - step right up suckers.

[patriot12436]

greybeardvet
I am still hoping for door number three.