Obama Meets With Afghan President

Presidential Candidate On Tour Of War Zone Has Talks With Karzai

(AP)  Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama met Sunday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, a man Obama has chided for not doing enough to rebuild his war-torn country.

Obama and Karzai held talks and lunched together at the presidential palace in Kabul. Karzai's office released video showing the two men seated in front of a marble fireplace, chatting and smiling. They made no public comment.

Obama has made Afghanistan, where Taliban and al Qaeda-linked militants are resurgent, a centerpiece of his proposed strategy for dealing with terror threats. The candidate has said the war in Afghanistan deserves more troops and more attention as opposed to the conflict in Iraq.

Earlier in the day during breakfast with soldiers at Camp Eggers, a heavily fortified military base in the city, Obama praised the U.S. troops.

"To see young people like this who are doing such excellent work, with so much dedication ... it makes you feel good about the country," Obama said.

"I want to make sure that everybody back home understands how much pride people take in their work here and how much sacrifice people are making. It is outstanding," he said in video footage from the military obtained by The Associated Press.

Lt. Col. Dave Johnson, a U.S. military spokesman, said Obama and other visiting senators met with many soldiers and sailors from their respective constituencies.

While officially a part of a congressional delegation on a fact-finding tour also expected to take him to Iraq, Obama was traveling in Afghanistan amid the publicity and scrutiny accorded a likely Democratic nominee for president rather than a senator from Illinois. Security was tight and media access to Obama was limited by his campaign.

Traveling with Obama were Sens. Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican, and Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island. Both are military veterans and have been mentioned as potential Obama vice presidential running mates, although Reed has said he is not interested in the job and Hagel would be an unlikely cross-party choice.

Obama and others in the delegation received a briefing Saturday inside the U.S. base in Jalalabad from the Afghan provincial governor of Nangarhar, Gul Agha Sherzai, a no-nonsense, bullish former warlord.

"Obama promised us that if he becomes a president in the future, he will support and help Afghanistan not only in its security sector but also in reconstruction, development and economic sector," Sherzai told The Associated Press.

The area where the meeting took place is not far from where Osama bin Laden escaped U.S. troops in 2001 after his al Qaeda network led the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Obama's first overseas tour since securing the Democratic nomination - he is scheduled to travel to Europe through next week - could be key to honing his foreign policy strategy with less than four months before the election. His rival for the presidency, Republican Sen. John McCain, has criticized Obama for not spending more time in the region.

The delegation has also met with military leaders and troops at Bagram Air Field, the main U.S. military base north of the capital, and Jalalabad Air Field in Nangarhar province.

Obama advocates ending the U.S. combat role in Iraq by withdrawing troops at the rate of one to two combat brigades a month while increasing the military commitment to Afghanistan. Obama has proposed sending two more combat brigades - about 7,000 troops - to Afghanistan. McCain is also advocating sending more forces to the war-battered country.

U.S. military officials say the number of attacks in eastern Afghanistan, where most of the U.S. forces in the country operate, has gone up by 40 percent so far in 2008, compared to the same period in 2007.

Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, told The Associated Press on Saturday that after intense U.S. assaults there, al Qaeda may be considering shifting focus to its original home base in Afghanistan, where American casualties are recently running higher than in Iraq.

Obama has also expressed weariness with the efforts by Afghanistan's neighbor Pakistan to go after militants in its territory. That frustration may strike a chord with Karzai, who has accused Pakistan's intelligence service of supporting the Taliban insurgency - claims that Pakistan denies.

But Obama has also criticized Karzai and his government, saying it had "not gotten out of the bunker" and helped to organize the country or its political and security institutions.

[fstop100]

What a waste of tax dollars and jet fuel.

[tbweb]

Sen. Obama should negotiate and work out as much detail as he can now with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on how newly deployed U.S. forces along with Afghan forces will navigate between Afghanistan and Pakistans borders to deal with the Taliban and al Queda. How to deal with Pakistans lack of cooperation on this issue and Pakistan providing insurgents with a safe haven by default must be resolved. Pakistan is playing both sides, one foot in and one foot out, that must be resolved to achieve success.

[emelder]

This trip is NOT a waste of resources ... it is an essential part of a what will be a very long process to rebuild American prestige overseas. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield, and Wolfawitz have done a lot of damage. Go Obama!

[mcvet]

What a waste of tax dollars and jet fuel.

Posted by fstop100 at 08:44 AM : Jul 20, 2008

How''s that?? YOU fascist say the strangest stuff!! SIEG HEIL BUSH

[hungry1968]

What a waste of tax dollars and jet fuel.

Posted by fstop100 at 08:44 AM : Jul 20, 2008





No - the trip he''s making to Iraq is a waste of jet fuel. Unless of course it''s to tell Petraeus that his incompetent a$$ is being fired on January 21st.

[harpoot]

At least it got Karzai out of his carpet remnant and throw rug to go and meet Obama.

[mr2258]

This is not news.Obama is a total waste.

[hungry1968]

McCain has closed the gap with you messiah lib. Now its only 2%. The majority of the American people want McCain to be the commander in chief now. 75% to 45%. Your dream of a Nattional American Socialist Democrat Party is slipping away......slipping away.

Posted by hillaryin012 at 09:21 AM : Jul 20, 2008






They polled 120% of the American public?

[xlib]

Is that a halo around the messiah''s head??? Yep, it is. AND I do believe there are a host of angels in the background.

[bookworm__]

Mar 13:14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

[cbs4me3]

Frightening. With less than 4 months until the election, Obama will try in ONE week to gain foreign policy/national security experience and to try to show some semblance of being a commander. Worse, we are told he has 300 foreign policy advisers; this the Obama flip flops since no two advisers can agree on anything. Pray for America.

[tbweb]

Frightening. With less than 4 months until the election, Obama will try in ONE week to gain foreign policy/national security experience and to try to show some semblance of being a commander. Worse, we are told he has 300 foreign policy advisers; this the Obama flip flops since no two advisers can agree on anything. Pray for America.

Posted by cbs4me3 at 09:56 AM : Jul 20, 2008,,,

Your Post is a joke! We have tons of foreign policy experience NOW and for the last 7 years with the Bush administrations foreign policy experts, but America''s foreign policy and foreign posture is a disaster and thats being polite! Base on these facts, foreign policy experience arguments are weak. Maybe a fresh approach is whats needed!

[bookworm__]

Let''''s hope McCain lives long enough to give his consession speach.

Posted by onemoretim at 10:04 AM : Jul 20, 2008

Only his 95 year old outspoken grandmother on CBS news knows for sure!

[bookworm__]

Sorry I meant,
Let''''''''s hope McCain lives long enough to give his consession speach.

Posted by onemoretim at 10:04 AM : Jul 20, 2008

Only his 95 year old outspoken attractive Grandmother on CBS news knows for sure!

[bookworm__]

Does she have cancer too?

Posted by onemoretim at 10:08 AM : Jul 20, 2008

I do not know but she can be tested at the place barack hussein was diagnose with his cancer? The cancer of a smokescreen. Barack voted NO to the surge! If we had listen to him a lot more of American lives would have been lost!

[bookworm__]

Barack Hussein is to indecisive to be our commander in chief? Always making the wrong decisions whereby lives can be lost!

[hotpaulie]

Yea the surge has worked...in Iraq. Now, Afghanistan is heating up. Way to go Bush! The big and bad U.S. has been fighting there for seven years, and things are going to get worse.

[ioweign]

What a waste of tax dollars and jet fuel.

Posted by fstop100 at 08:44 AM : Jul 20, 2008

Recently, McCain in Columbia, Mexico and Canada.

Then there was his and Lieberman''s Mideast trip where he did not know the difference between ***** and Sunni.

[noprejudice]

Barak voted no to the $4 billion dollar, no WMD''''s, waste of a 6 year old war that cost 4100 U.S. lives.
***********
Isn''t it amazing, in retrospect, the huge blunder this has been? It''s internationally embarrassing.

[mcvet]

Barack Hussein is to indecisive to be our commander in chief? Always making the wrong decisions whereby lives can be lost!

Posted by BOOKWORM__ at 10:15 AM : Jul 20, 2008

Ummm!! It''s absolutely AMAZING how short your memory is... Let''s review. Iraq was started on a bunch of LIES! That''s right the Fuhrer LIED us into that war... There WERE NO WMD''s as he said there were. There WAS no connection with the attack on OUR nation as he said there was. IF we listen to Obama we aren''t bogged down in Iraq and Al Queda and the Taliban are no more. TRY to keep up from now on?? Sieg Heil Bush

[whitemale08]

Isn''t he like the coolest?

I mean basicly he''s already President.

The world can''t wait for the Republican Bush nightmare to be over.

You see HOPE and CHANGE in everyone''s eyes!

It''s EXCITING!!!

[singingrick]

Finally a President who''s interested in changing the failed course and failed policies in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will take years, maybe decades, to fix all that the neocons screwwed up but Obama is the man for the job.

[vnveteran72]

Karzai, having nothing to go on but his interactions with Shrub, was pleased to find after meeting Barack, that all Americans aren''t Drooling Mouth-Breathing Retardds afterall......LMMFAO

[kissamaarse]

"Iraq Leader Maliki Supports Obama''s Withdrawal Plans" -- Der Spiegel

Yet another major news item the American corporate media is leaving virtually untouched as it continues to protect JukeBox John McCain.

[fstop100]

What a waste of jet fuel!

[nextgenman]

Yeah, all that jet fuel wasted to invade Iraq for no reason - and then lose. I agree.

[neoconrcrazy]

He''''ll have some catching up to do if he wants to reach Shrub''''s numbers:

3000 on 9/11.
4113 in Iraq.

Posted by onemoretim


you forget;

1''000''000 iraqi refugees
650''000 dead iraqi citizens

right up there with Pol Pot, Baby Doc, et al.

bush, the national shame, the world''s nightmare.

[sean5002]

***************************

amazing! Barack is ahead on things, the bush admin now catching up sending troops to Afgan and putting pressure on pakistan,

Now Bush setting a timetable to withdraw from irag, all copycat action , they are basically doing what Barack say we should be doing a long time ago , and they were saying barack is trying to surrender in iraq; Look now.. they change their tune; This Bush government is a JOKE.

they are all following Barack sound judgement.

It look like our future commander in chief President Obama is ahead on the curb, And the poor NEO-CONS are now following his lead and is trying to catch up.

[phuyay]

You call that puff piece an interview? Obama and the Democrats did everything they could to hnder the war effort and the surge in Iraq. Now Obama thinks a surgeis is a good idea for Afghanistan. Why wasn''t he asked what he thought of the Iraq surge? Did he think it was a success or failure? It is very convenient for him to criticize the surge in Iraq and advocate one for Afghanistan because the later is the popular war and he can show his muscle on Afghanistan without losing his base. It would have been nice to hear a question relating to that. After listening to the interview, I reminded myslef why I don''t bother listening and watching CBS news on a regular basis.

[jeffstersf]

BOOKWORM__ and BlindLibs, you pathetic creeps who still think Barack is a Muslim. Jees, wake up. It''s big fat idiots like you, who call Barack Obama by his middle name, that are the true threat to America. WHy don''t you call McCain by HIS middle name?! Do you even know what it is? You''re going to be on the losing side in November, but America is going to win with Obama and by finally getting rid of the true terrorists: Bush and Cheney

[marcpcbs]

I''m so glad that Obama now knows the excitement of having his passport stamped for the first time.

[figuy30]

This is pure BS! Who does Obama think he is? He has no authority to pledge more taxpayer dollars to anyone. I wonder why he did''nt just go ahead and offer them Social Security, SSI, Medicare, Medicaid, along with child tax credits for taxes they haven''t paid too! After all this is America and we can all afford more draining of our resources. Obama has stepped way ahead of himself.

[wherenextnow]

I think Obama is building the relationships he''ll need to be President.

[Stratmaster7]

This is pure BS! Who does Obama think he is? He has no authority to pledge more taxpayer dollars to anyone. I wonder why he did''''nt just go ahead and offer them Social Security, SSI, Medicare, Medicaid, along with child tax credits for taxes they haven''''t paid too! After all this is America and we can all afford more draining of our resources. Obama has stepped way ahead of himself.


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Posted by figuy30 at 11:32 AM

what are you talking about. he said IF he becomes President, he would "support'' their efforts. I don''t see any commitment to what that support would entail. Who does he think he is? who do you think he is? I think he is 6 months away from being the POTUS.

[marcpcbs]

Afghanistan has a President?

[whitemale08]

This is EXCITING !!!

Everyone around the world is THRILLED to death over his PRESIDENCY!!!

[Stratmaster7]

Posted by BlindLibs at 11:38 AM

now THAT is funny Blind. That is called a retraction after receiving calls from the bush administration asking himm what the heck he thought he was doing. Notice even in the retraction he used the word "timetable". Here are the facts;

1. Bush tried to get Iraq to sign weeks ago allowing us to stay in their country past the UN mandadte expiration. They refused.

2. Iraq has said they want us out as soon as possible.

3. bush is then forced to negotiate a "general time horizon" (wink, wink, nod, nod) for withdrawl.

4. The Iraqi leader follows that up by saying Obama''s 16 month timetable is the right time frame.

Using any type of reason or logic, versus just blindly following your political party, which candidate for POTUS is on the correct side of the issue?

[eddynewhope]

He believes he is the messiah, and his followers like hungry1968 and many other blind sheep of his who parade these forums, agree wholeheartedly with their Savior Obama.

Posted by BlindLibs at 11:40 AM

As opposed to the blind sheep who follow their idiot Bushie messiah? At least Obama isn''t a complete and bona fide failure who has destroyed this great country''s standing in the world, military, AND economy. "Who does this guy think he is?" He thinks he is the next president of the United States and the majority of Americans agree. Who do you think you are?

[rudy654-2009]

He believes he is the messiah, and his followers like hungry1968 and many other blind sheep of his who parade these forums, agree wholeheartedly with their Savior Obama.


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Posted by BlindLibs at 11:40 AM

You have him confused with Rush Limbaugh, your false god and cult leader of ditto heads.

[Stratmaster7]

errr... eh... we aren''t agreeing to a "timetable". No, make no mistake about that. We are simply setting... ummm... a .. err.. "general time horizon" for withdrawl. Yeah, that''s it. A "general time horizon". Now Condi, whatever happens, never say the word timetable, its a "GTH" for short.

Talk to enemy leaders? we would never do that! We aren''t talking to Iran... I mean.. umm... we''re just gonna... sit there. Yeah, we''re not going to talk, we''re just going to sit there.

I give credit to Bush for realizing that the situation is dire, and the country could not wait until Janauary to implement Obama''s approach to these issues. Of course, he is still too stubborn and too much of a liar to admit what he is doing, and give credit where credit is due.

[credibility2]

Judging from the image running along with this "news" item, Obama is walking with his hands in his pockets. This is very cocky, arrogant, and so not Presidential. What a jerk! And what morons for those to presume he''s already won the election. Let the media drool and be catatonic and all in love with this phony and fraud. This is repugnant theatrics and superficial spectable. It''s shameful, disgusting and over-kill!

[Stratmaster7]

Funny how when presented with facts the GOP supportes run right back to the "Obama is a Muslim" track. They are on the wrong side of every issue, so it is all they have to grasp at.

whenever you see them retreating back to the "Muslim thing", take heart! It means a landslide for Obama in november.

[rudy654-2009]

Posted by Credibility2 at 11:47 AM

Don''t worry, your Gawd Limbaugh will be on tomorrow and console your worry and stress.

[rudy654-2009]

Posted by BlindLibs at 11:48 AM

You ditto heads live by his words. Thus the expression: Ditto Heads!

[whitemale08]

It''s about time we have a President who understands diplomacy instead hunting down someone who threatened their daddy.

It''s about time we have a President who understands the economy and that it''s about the "working stiff" in America.

It''s about time we have a President who say to the working stiff "You are my base".

It''s about time, too bad it took 8 years of failure to here but it''s about time.

[Stratmaster7]

Judging from the image running along with this "news" item, Obama is walking with his hands in his pockets. This is very cocky, arrogant, and so not Presidential. What a jerk! And what morons for those to presume he''''s already won the election. Let the media drool and be catatonic and all in love with this phony and fraud. This is repugnant theatrics and superficial spectable. It''''s shameful, disgusting and over-kill!


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Posted by Credibility2 at 11:47 AM

SEE!!!Another one. Now he is walking in the wrong way. Got any issues you want to discuss? Geesh.

[Stratmaster7]

It is a landslide for Obama in november. the GOP has nothing left but "body language" and "Obama is a muslim".

[providence-k]

This true story was about a boy who was given by his neighbor a baby lamb to have as a pet. The boy would take the baby lamb where ever he would go throughout the day. The boy had a friend in which he could love and share special times as a little boy only knows. One day the little boys father came home drunk and with no regard killed the baby lamb that boy loved so much. The boy cried out my baby lamb is dead. The boy grieved and grieved. This set him apart from his father so that he ran away from home until one day he was at a soup kitchen in which U had to hear a sermon before U ate. The speaker for that day said Jesus was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth.

What this speaker said brought tears to the man eyes remembering that his baby lamb was killed when he was a small boy. Why would God allow his son Jesus to be killed he ask the speaker? The speaker replied, It was Gods justice being met at the cross for us that he sacrificed His son Jesus for your sins and mine, our debt paid in full, so that U can call on Jesus to be your sin bearer, Savior and Lord, you are then born again. The man invites Jesus, who is alive, in prayer accepting Jesus was sent by God to die for his sins; he thanks God for His plan of salvation. Then the man thinks to himself I wonder if God cried when Jesus his son died? He then remembers that when his baby lamb died he grieved and grieved.

[rudy654-2009]

then refuter the facts that are out there about Obama''''s Muslim background stratmaster
*************
Refuter the facts? It''s a bloody lie, but no problem for you godless dittoheads.

[Stratmaster7]

then refuter the facts that are out there about Obama''''s Muslim background stratmaster.

Go ahead, give it your best shot! And "Because Obama says so" doesn''''t count either.

Either refute the easily researchable documented facts about Obama''''s childhood upbringing and the accounts of his classmates, friends, teachers, and his very own FAMILY, or shut up.

If you can''''t refute the facts, then nothing you say is worth anyone''''s time.

"Because Obama says so" is not a valid rebuttal, either.


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Posted by BlindLibs

There is no way to refute facts that don''t exist. Muslim is a religion. what Muslim mosque has he been attending the last 20+ years, or for that matter did he ever attend? Your own candidate acknowledges he isn''t, and criticizes liars like you who attempt to refute that. Even if he were a follower of the Muslim religion, which he isn;t, so what? you do realize that those people we have lost over 4,000 american lives to liberate are all, guess what... Muslims. So your party has given tousands of American lives and a trillion dollars to help people of this religion you seem to hate so much. *** is wrong with you?