Small Wars Journal

Obama Makes a Surprise Visit to Afghanistan

Sun, 03/28/2010 - 2:59pm
Obama Makes a Surprise Visit to Afghanistan - Helene Cooper, New York Times.

President Obama made a surprise trip to Afghanistan on Sunday, his first visit as commander in chief to the site of the war he inherited and has stamped as his own. Air Force One landed at nighttime at Bagram Air Base after a 13-hour nonstop flight for a visit shrouded in secrecy for security reasons; Mr. Obama quickly boarded a helicopter for the trip to Kabul, landing at the presidential palace for talks with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan.

Gen. James L. Jones, the National Security adviser, told reporters aboard the flight to Bagram that Mr. Obama would try to make Mr. Karzai "understand that in his second term, there are certain things that have not been paid attention to, almost since day one." Gen. Jones said those things included "a merit-based system for appointment of key government officials, battling corruption, taking the fight to the narco-traffickers," which, "provides a lot of the economic engine for the insurgents." ...

More at The New York Times.

Obama Makes Unannounced Trip to Afghanistan - Laura King and Julian E. Barnes, Los Angeles Times.

President Obama flew into Afghanistan's capital Sunday on an unannounced visit, his first trip as president to a country where tens of thousands of new U.S. troops are being deployed this year. Obama last visited the country in 2008 as a presidential candidate. Previous attempts to visit Kabul during his presidency were cancelled because of weather problems, according to White House officials. Afghanistan, along with neighboring Pakistan, are probably the largest foreign-policy challenges of Obama's presidency, and he has overseen a troop buildup of about 50,000 forces since he took office.

Obama was meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, whose relations with the West were badly strained last year by his fraud-tainted reelection. Karzai has been told unequivocally by the United States that he must clean up corruption in his government, a message Obama was to reiterate, according to aides. Security concerns dictated that secrecy surrounded the trip, which was not announced until after the president was on the ground...

More at The Los Angeles Times.

Obama Presses Karzai to Fight Afghan Corruption - Jennifer Loven, Associated Press.

President Barack Obama is pressing Afghan leader Hamid Karzai to crack down on corruption in his country while also strengthening the judicial system and promoting good governance. Obama met with Karzai at the presidential palace in Kabul during an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Sunday. The White House said later than Karzai will come to Washington on May 12 for more talks.

Obama said Afghanistan has made progress in the military campaign against insurgents and improved services to Afghans. Obama is expected to spend several hours in Afghanistan before beginning the long flight back to Washington...

More at The Associated Press.