PRESIDENT OBAMA SURPRISE TO TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN

United States president Barack Obama has visited US troops while on an unannounced whistle-stop night visit to Afghanistan for urgent talks with president Hamid Karzai.

On Mr Obama's first trip to Afghanistan as president, he told troops: "There is no visit I consider more important than the visit I am making right now."

The official itinerary had the president having a quiet weekend at Camp David with his family after a frantic week, first with his healthcare victory and capped off with a new arms reduction treaty with Russia.

But instead he secretly boarded Air Force One for an overnight flight to Bagram Airfield.

From there he transferred to a helicopter to fly into Kabul for talks at the presidential palace.

Mr Karzai was only told on Friday, Australian time, that Mr Obama was coming.

Mr Obama also met the US and NATO commander Stanley McChrystal before addressing troops.

"I know that sometimes, when you're watching TV, the politics may look a little messy and people are yelling and hollering Democrats this and Republicans that," he told the assembled troops.

"I want all of you to understand there's no daylight when it comes to supporting you. There's no daylight when it comes to supporting our troops."

He thanked coalition and Afghan forces for their sacrifices.

"We are going to disrupt and dismantle, defeat and destroy Al Qaeda and its extremist allies. That is our mission," he said.

Washington invitation

The two leaders had a short meeting and the American leader invited his Afghan counterpart to Washington in May.

After Mr Karzai's controversial re-election late last year, White House officials say Mr Obama wanted to press the Afghan leader to do more to promote good governance and tackle corruption and narco-traffickers who are providing funding for insurgents.

For his part, Mr Karzai is looking for reassurances about the number of civilian casualties caught up in the fighting.

Commentators such as longtime defence writer Jamie McIntyre say the US administration wants the Afghan leader to move much faster.

"The clock is ticking and President Obama really wants to put the pressure on Hamid Karzai to start doing some of the things that would help ensure success after US troops begin to leave sometime next year, according to the president's goal," he said.

"There are two problems with this strategy. One is the things that they're asking President Karzai to do - which is strengthen the institutions in the country, wipe out corruption, take more action in the drug war because Afghanistan in some places is in danger of becoming a narco state - are the same things they've been asking him to do all along.

"The second problem is that the reason the clock is ticking is simply because President Obama has announced a goal to begin withdrawing troops next year."

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• OBAMA
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• KARZAI
• JUAREZVIOLENTO
• PASO
• TEXAS
• USA

[CRITIKCK]

@Ahab3447 correction** dude has to END a war he didn't start. Right?

[bxlxix69]

@Theambasaman Like I said, here's another fudge packer with its precious feelings getting hurt.

Take your head(s) out of your ass Theambasaman... both of them...

[Theambasaman]

@bxlxix69 suck a dick

[bxlxix69]

Obama is a pansy baby killer who's more worried about his daughter being burdened with pregnancy and same sex marriage contracts controlled by the state than things of real importance... like treason against the American people from attorneys with its titles of nobility and rouge agencies like the IRS fraud against the American People; even all these U.S. Codes being forced into the States of the Union etc.... and its blatent attacks on the Bill of Rights (especially the 2nd AMD)

[surrealnumber]

@MrLiberal4life same coin same cloth just different sides or sleves

[MrLiberal4life]

I feel like a Bigot as A Lib. How can I hate bash one (bush) for war and love another (obama) for war. I dont support him anymore.