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Shallow Nation

July 20th, 2008 at 8:25 am

Video & Photos: Barack Obama in Afghanistan - July 19-20, 2008

Barack Obama in Afghanistan, July 2008, meets Afghan President Karzai

Presumptive Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama visited Afghanistan on July 19 and July 20, 2008, as part of an official congressional delegation; his visit included a meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the presidential palace in Kabul (pictured above) and a visit with U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama got his first look at deteriorating conditions in war-torn Afghanistan on Saturday, meeting with U.S. military commanders and local officials and touring part of the country by helicopter on the first day of a highly anticipated visit abroad that drew a fresh rebuke from Republican rival John McCain.

Barack Obama in Afghanistan, July 2008, meets U.S. troops

Obama, traveling as part of an official congressional delegation, landed in the Afghan capital on Saturday morning under tight security amid a surge of Taliban activity in recent weeks. After a briefing at Bagram air base, he flew by helicopter to the northeastern city of Jalalabad in Nangahar province, where he met with U.S. soldiers and local leaders. From there, according to a U.S.-based aide, Obama set out by helicopter for a look at parts of eastern Afghanistan before returning to Kabul for a dinner with senior Afghan officials.

Barack Obama in Afghanistan, July 2008, meets U.S. troops

The presumptive Democratic nominee shied away from public comments as his trip began, belying the intense interest in the trip and its political ramifications. McCain used his new weekly radio address on Saturday to attack Obama’s foreign policy credentials and judgment. But as McCain sparred with his rival, the Illinois senator received an unexpected boost from Iraqi President Nouri al-Maliki, who told the German magazine Der Spiegel that he looked favorably on Obama’s call for a 16-month timetable for withdrawing most U.S. forces from Iraq.

Barack Obama in Afghanistan, July 2008, meets U.S. troops

Maliki’s interview was published a day after White House officials announced that President Bush and the Iraqi leader had reached agreement on the need to set a “time horizon” for withdrawing U.S. troops, a significant shift in position by a president who long had resisted applying any semblance of a timeline on U.S. military involvement.

Barack Obama in Afghanistan, July 2008, meets U.S. troops

Iraq is expected to be part of the itinerary of Obama’s trip, which also includes stops in Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and Britain. The long-planned journey is designed to enhance Obama’s foreign policy credentials and allay the concerns of some voters that he lacks the experience to serve as commander in chief while the country is engaged in two wars and a global campaign against terrorism.

Source: Obama Gets Look At Afghan War Zone

Photo credit: Top photo; Barack Obama meets with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the presidential palace in Kabul July 20, 2008; Reuters/Afghanistan Presidential Palace handout. Photo credit: Photos 2-7; Reuters/U.S Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan

Here is an NBC news report from Richard Engle on Barack Obama’s visit to Afghanistan.