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| Afghanistan |
| Obama in Aghanistan |
| 2010-03-28 |
| President Obama made a surprise visit to Afghanistan today, meeting with President Hamid Karzai to pressure him about better government and improved security in the war-torn nation. Obama will "engage President Karzai...to make him understand that in his second term, there are certain things that have been not paid attention to, almost since day one," national security adviser James Jones told reporters aboard Air Force One, bound for Kabul. Jones cited such items as "a merit-based system for appointment of key government officials, battling corruption, (and) taking the fight to the narco-traffickers, which fuels, provides a lot of the economic engine for the insurgents," Jones said. This is a "strategic moment" in the eight-and-a-half-year-old war Jones added, given the president's order late last year to increase the U.S. troop level by about 30,000. By late summer, some 100,000 U.S. troops are expected to be fighting in Afghanistan; Obama also hopes to start withdrawing U.S. forces by the middle of 2011. Obama. who had been at Camp David, flew Air Force One overnight to Bagram Air Base near Kabul. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, and ambassador Karl Eikenberry met the president after his 13-hour flight. The president is also expected to address U.S. troops before returning to Washington early Monday. |
| Posted by:Nimble Spemble |
| #13 Matt, I didn't always agree with him, but D*MN I miss him now! |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-03-28 19:54 |
| #12 Ah. Explains the random unsolicited stat clip cnn threw out about how more and more people think the Afghan theatre is important. Shoulda guessed it. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2010-03-28 19:48 |
| #11 I went through the photo slide show at Nimble Spemble's link. There's a white split rail-style fence between the president and the troops -- he's doing the macho thing with one foot up on the top as he leans over to shake hands. Are the troops being herded past the receiving spot? Because otherwise the pose doesn't make sense... As for the rest of the photos, President Karzai needs to realize how lucky they were taken at all, 'cause if he doesn't seriously shape up, next time he'll get the Zionist treatment. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-03-28 19:25 |
| #10 This is what it looks like when a commander in chief rallies the troops. Frank #2 - I agree with NS -- you destroyed multiple targets with one warhead. |
| Posted by: Matt 2010-03-28 18:17 |
| #9 Its a tautology. Barry's idea is that his government is better because it is, just like the sky is blue because it is. EVERYONE better just know because Barry is President things are good and better get better. Thats all any one that is NOT Barry needs to know. /Sarc |
| Posted by: GirlThursday 2010-03-28 18:01 |
| #8 Check out the Rooters Photos here. The troops (all 25 of them) are kept behind a fence and |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2010-03-28 17:59 |
| #7 Don't come back. Seriously, is he setting up a Swiss Type bank account? |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2010-03-28 16:40 |
| #6 Maybe the US President should heed his own advice. |
| Posted by: newc 2010-03-28 16:17 |
| #5 He's going to lecture Karzai about nepotism, cronie-ism, and rascalism. We need a reform candidate. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2010-03-28 15:46 |
| #4 Barry presses Karzai about "better government"? Oh, I'll bet that was goooooood... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2010-03-28 14:58 |
| #3 Savage, Frank; rotflmao. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2010-03-28 14:39 |
| #2 be nice if Karzai left Obama sitting there while he went back to his palace for dinner with the family |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-03-28 14:37 |
| #1 Because until President Obama explained it to him, he couldn't possibly have understood properly. But now that he does, things will go as they ought. |
| Posted by: trailing wife on the other computer 2010-03-28 13:57 |