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| Afghanistan |
| B.O. Cultivates Karzai |
| 2008-07-20 |
| 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-Qaida-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. |
| Posted by:Bobby |
| #6 The U.S. is the elephant in Afghanistan's living room, of which President Karzai controls pretty much only the chair he is sitting in. He would be wise to cultivate the potential mahouts (as would be the rest of the world), regardless of his personal opinion... and I don't think anyone seriously thinks Mr. Karzai is stupid. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-07-20 18:05 |
| #5 I hate to think this nation would elect another Jimmah Kahtah, and one even more useless, but it may happen. I can only hope that God has the final say. BO is an over-educated idiot, to use one of my dad's favorite expressions. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2008-07-20 15:01 |
| #4 Obama, the glib and unserious traveling salesman, must be even less impressive to a man like Karzai, than he is to me. (if that's possible) |
| Posted by: Bin thinking again 2008-07-20 10:32 |
| #3 I dunno -- I think Karzai is loyal, first and foremost, to himself. He's a survivor and I'm guessing that he's a lot better than most of us in reading tea leaves. If 'Bamer gets the job, Karzai will adapt. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2008-07-20 10:10 |
| #2 For MessiahO, that must have been like trying to pick up a hole-less greased bowling ball with one hand. Karzai knows who got him the job, and how much his life would be worth if the US pulled out. He is more loyal to W. Bush than Karl Rove. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-07-20 09:29 |
| #1 Traveling with Obama were Sens. Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska "Republican",.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-07-20 08:56 |