Cnn.com: Obama makes unannounced trip to Afghanistan

[#98QBKiller]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/28/obama.afghanistan/index.html?hpt=T1

(CNN) -- President Obama pledged continued U.S. partnership with Afghanistan during a previously unannounced trip to the country Sunday.

In remarks after meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Obama said he wanted to send a "strong message" that the partnership between the nations would continue.

Obama also invited Karzai to Washington, and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the planned date for that visit is May 12.

Karzai thanked Obama for his visit and for American aid to help rebuild the country.

Obama's trip began in secrecy, with the president leaving his Camp David, Maryland, retreat. He flew to Afghanistan on Air Force One, landing at Bagram Air Base at 7:24 p.m. (around 11 a.m. ET). Obama then flew on a helicopter to the Presidential Palace to meet with Karzai.

Time.com: Obama arrives in Afghanistan

After the talks with Karzai, Obama was to have a meal and then return to Bagram Air Base to meet with U.S. military officials and deliver a 15-minute speech to about 2,000 U.S. troops.

The two presidents took part in a 10-minute arrival ceremony before walking into the palace for their meeting. U.S. officials said the two leaders planned to first meet along with key aides, and then bring in Karzai's cabinet.

In a briefing with pool reporters on the trip, National Security Adviser James Jones said Obama would push Karzai to improve efforts to meet benchmarks for better governance in his second term, which began last year.

According to Jones, Obama planned to point out that more attention was needed to certain issues such as a merit-based system for appointing key government officials, battling corruption and taking on narcotics trafficking that helps fund insurgents.

Related: Afghanistan Crossroads

The trip came right after what has been perhaps the most successful week of Obama's presidency, in which he signed into law comprehensive health care legislation -- his top domestic priority -- and announced plans to sign a new nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia on April 8.

Gibbs said Afghan authorities were notified of Obama's trip on Thursday. The president previously postponed a trip to Indonesia and Australia, planned for March 21 to 26, in order to see through passage of the health care bill.

Since taking office, Obama has ordered the deployment of an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan while also saying he planned for combat forces to start coming home in July 2011.

Karzai has said that by the end of 2010, Afghan security forces will be able to take over some security responsibilities from international forces. By the end of his second term in 2014, Karzai has said, he would like his government to have full responsibility for security.

Karzai emerged victorious from August presidential elections that were marred by widespread fraud. Two months after the vote, a U.N.-backed panel of election monitors threw out nearly a third of Karzai's votes, citing fraud. Left short of a majority, Karzai agreed to a runoff with challenger Abdullah Abdullah, but Abdullah withdrew just before the runoff vote.

The trip is Obama's second to Afghanistan. He first traveled there in 2008, four months before his victory in the election that made him president. On that visit, part of a broader trip that included the Middle East, Obama traveled to eastern Afghanistan to meet with U.S. forces and also met with Karzai.

[@DCGoldPants]

Pretty smart gameplan here.

A few days after the Health Care vote, the WH appears to just move on to another issue that would be hard for his opponents to put a clear negative message on.

"What do you mean he's there to bust balls for corrupt gov't over there? We don't support this!"

Its going to be this....then I bet they shift quickly to an energy issue like those Nuclear Power Plants in Georgia, and not something really climate related.

Bottom line is that they are going to try to pick the issues between now and the fall while trying to keep the minority party a few steps behind on whatever is happening.

100% political.

[Teller]

Meh, I guess I worry too much, but I really don't like the idea of the president going to a country where we are currently fighting a war. I'm sure he wouldn't be going if the Secret Service et al thought there was any danger, but I still don't like it.

[twa]

To hear the liberals tell it he is in more danger here HH

[Baculus]

To hear the liberals tell it he is in more danger here HH

To hear the conservatives here, I would agree with you. I am sure many a right-wing is fantasizing about Obama's plane being shot down.

[SC_RedskinsFan]

To hear the conservatives here, I would agree with you. I am sure many a right-wing is fantasizing about Obama's plane being shot down.

:doh: No matter what i think of his policies would i ever want any harm to come to any POTUS. That is a horrible statement to make......

[TheGoodBits]

:doh: No matter what i think of his policies would i ever want any harm to come to any POTUS. That is a horrible statement to make......

I don't think he meant all righties. But I guarantee he is correct.

I remember my grandfather, back in the late Clinton years, commenting that "someone should take him out." This coming from a WW2 vet, as patriotic as they come. And Clinton wasn't even a foreign born communist Nazi Muslim terrorist bent on destroying the country.

But back on topic. I think that the symbolism behind any head of state making a trip into a war zone is powerful. I can't wait to see pictures from this trip. I wonder if my friend Rob will get to see him while he's over there...

[twa]

:doh: No matter what i think of his policies would i ever want any harm to come to any POTUS. That is a horrible statement to make......

Yet perfectly acceptable...odd huh?

[Baculus]

:doh: No matter what i think of his policies would i ever want any harm to come to any POTUS. That is a horrible statement to make......

Maybe you should listen to some of the horrible things said about the President Obama by some on the right-wing, or has that somehow seemingly escaped your attention?

My statement does not come out of a bubble. When right-wingers celebrate over Ted Kennedy's and John Murtha's deaths, then they surely would rejoice over something happening to Obama, the "Nazi-Socialist-Communist-Muslim-Secular-Satanist who is trying to destroy America."

(As a note, if Bush had been shot down over Afghanistan, I am sure some folks would have celebrated as well.)

[Teller]

Nevermind, it's not worth it.

[Chicken Fried]

Maybe you should listen to some of the horrible things said about the President Obama by some on the right-wing, or has that somehow seemingly escaped your attention?

My statement does not come out of a bubble. When right-wingers celebrate over Ted Kennedy's and John Murtha's deaths, then they surely would rejoice over something happening to Obama, the "Nazi-Socialist-Communist-Muslim-Secular-Satanist who is trying to destroy America."

(As a note, if Bush had been shot down over Afghanistan, I am sure some folks would have celebrated as well.)

You act as if the only crazy people are right-wingers. What about the lefties who shot at Cantor's office and threw a brick through the window of the Albemarle County GOP office?

[Baculus]

I don't think he meant all righties. But I guarantee he is correct.

I remember my grandfather, back in the late Clinton years, commenting that "someone should take him out." This coming from a WW2 vet, as patriotic as they come. And Clinton wasn't even a foreign born communist Nazi Muslim terrorist bent on destroying the country.

But back on topic. I think that the symbolism behind any head of state making a trip into a war zone is powerful. I can't wait to see pictures from this trip. I wonder if my friend Rob will get to see him while he's over there...

Oh yeah, I did not mean all right-wingers.

What's funny is hearing people say horrible things about Obama, then being shocked that I would suggest that someone would cheer for Obama's death.

Of course they would -- some people really hate, hate the President. It goes with the territory, especially in today's environment. As it is, some folks view any Democrat as being "baby killers" and worthy of death,. which is why some folks defended the murder of Dr. Tillman. That's also why folks such as Stupak are getting death threats. To them, with the passing of health care, Obama is chief "Doctor Death."

[TheGoodBits]

You act as if the only crazy people are right-wingers. What about the lefties who shot at Cantor's office and threw a brick through the window of the Albemarle County GOP office?

I've seen this post a few times now, in a few threads. You know nobody shot at Cantor's office right?

edit: never mind, please don't respond. I don't feel comfortable being a contributing factor in yet another thread hijack that's turning into another left vs right violence argument.

[SC_RedskinsFan]

Maybe you should listen to some of the horrible things said about the President Obama by some on the right-wing, or has that somehow seemingly escaped your attention?

(As a note, if Bush had been shot down over Afghanistan, I am sure some folks would have celebrated as well.)

Any US citizen who would celebrate the death of a POTUS is a piece of garbage, it does not matter what side they are on.... Im sure we both agree on this, or i would hope so.

And i do not understand why you need to even make that statement....

[Baculus]

You act as if the only crazy people are right-wingers. What about the lefties who shot at Cantor's office and threw a brick through the window of the Albemarle County GOP office?

Do you still believe someone shot at Eric Cantor's office?

Wow. Cantor's disinformation sure has worked:

"Cantor's spokesman is now claiming in media interviews that Cantor didn't know that the bullet was randomly fired when he revealed the incident on national television Thursday."

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/cantor-responds-on-random-bullet-case.php?ref=fpb

Also, several Democratic officers were shattered with bricks, and not just one. And not only that, but Democrats have received death threats, faxed nooses, etc.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/a-week-of-threats-and-vandalism.php?ref=fpb

Incidentally, a brick is different than, say, praying for Obama's death:

http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/pastor-drake-prays-obamas-death-im-not

Plus, I never said right-wingers were the only crazy people. I am sure Code Pink would have had a party if Bush would have been assassinated.

[Chicken Fried]

I've seen this post a few times now, in a few threads. You know nobody shot at Cantor's office right?

:ols:

Yes, of course the shot fired was a result of "random gunfire." It just so happened that the round which was fired up into the sky miraculously went right through the window of the office of the second most influential Republican in the United States who happened to be one of the most fervently opposed to the healthcare bill. That's a story to make people less fearful.

[Baculus]

Any US citizen who would celebrate the death of a POTUS is a piece of garbage, it does not matter what side they are on.... Im sure we both agree on this, or i would hope so.

I agree with you.

And i do not understand why you need to even make that statement....

Let me ask you this: Have you paid attention to the last two year's of rhetoric from the right-wing? Do you know how often I have said, "I do not understand why they need to make those statements"?

Seriously. I don't think it is shocking that the people who believe Obama is the anti-Christ would desire for the death of someone that they believe is so evil.

[TheGoodBits]

:ols:

Yes, of course the shot fired was a result of "random gunfire." It just so happened that the round which was fired up into the sky miraculously went right through the window of the office of the second most influential Republican in the United States who happened to be one of the most fervently opposed to the healthcare bill. That's a story to make people less fearful.

See my edit. And don't be ridiculous. You live in Richmond, so you know how many shots are fired there every day. The POLICE were the ones that corrected Cantor's statement with the FACTS of the situation. Since then Cantor has backpedaled from his LIE meant to try to associate some of the violence with Democrats. The fact that you are still buying into his original statement that his office was under attack or whatever is pretty sad.

[Larry]

Nevermind, it's not worth it.

Observing that I have never regretted deleting one of my own posts. (Although, sometimes, I've been to slow in doing so.)

I suspect that it may be one of the ultimate Tailgate virtues.

[Larry]

What about the lefties who shot at Cantor's office . .

:secret:No one did.

[Baculus]

:ols:

Yes, of course the shot fired was a result of "random gunfire." It just so happened that the round which was fired up into the sky miraculously went right through the window of the office of the second most influential Republican in the United States who happened to be one of the most fervently opposed to the healthcare bill. That's a story to make people less fearful.

Yeah, because people usually shoot up into the air when they are attempting to hit their target, which was an unmarked office building. BTW, I KNEW this shot was random as soon as I heard that it was shot in came in a "downward trajectory." Why would a bullet come down in such an arc? Because it was fired into the air, as people sometimes do in Richmond.

Maybe you should actually read the police report, eh?

[Teller]

Meanwhile, somewhere back in the approximate neighborhood of the topic:

I watched the speech, and it was a "rah rah" "hooah hooah" feel-good type of thing. Nothing new. Nothing dramatic. Also, Obama only met with Karzai for "30 minutes to an hour" according to MSNBC.

This was obviously a deflection trip. Most are opposed to the healthcare thing. Hard to find anyone who's opposed to our troops.

[SC_RedskinsFan]

I agree with you.

Let me ask you this: Have you paid attention to the last two year's of rhetoric from the right-wing? Do you know how often I have said, "I do not understand why they need to make those statements"?

Thats my point, why go to that level? There are always idiots on both sides who think that crap...

Ok im done hijacking the thread

[Baculus]

:secret:No one did.

Apparently this "shooting" will simply become another right-wing meme. I can bet money that sometime in the future we'll hear this again.

"Oh yeah? Well, remember when someone shot at Cantor's office last year?!"

[Teller]

Observing that I have never regretted deleting one of my own posts. (Although, sometimes, I've been to slow in doing so.)

I suspect that it may be one of the ultimate Tailgate virtues.

Meh, I don't claim to be all that virtuous Larry, but thanks.

I just decided it was better not to poke an already ticked off donkey with a stick.