"I'm more interested in listening than doing a lot of talking," That's a good strategy for him, since he tends to get way off message without a teleprompter.
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Robert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) Democratic presidential contender Barack > Obama arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday, the first stop on a > campaign-season tour of war zones, a spokesman said.Less than > four months before the general election, Obama's first visit to > Afghanistan, with a subsequent stop in Iraq, was rich with political > implications, although the Illinois senator flew as part of an official > congressional delegation.Rival John McCain has criticized Obama > for his lack of time in the region, and the Republican National > Committee had a running ticker tallying the more than 900 days since > his last visit to Iraq.Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama arrived in Kabul early Saturday."I > look forward to seeing what the situation on the ground is," Obama told > a pair of reporters who accompanied him to his departure from Andrews > Air Force Base on Thursday."I want to, obviously, talk to the > commanders and get a sense both in Afghanistan and in Baghdad of, you > know, what the most, their biggest concerns are, and I want to thank > our troops for the heroic work that they've been doing," he said before > his flight overseas.Obama advocates ending the U.S. combat role > in Iraq by withdrawing troops at the rate of one to two combat brigades > a month. But he supports increasing the military commitment to > Afghanistan, where the Taliban has been resurgent and Osama bin laden > is believed to be hiding.On his trip, Obama intends to meet with > Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president. He recently chided Karzai and his > government, saying it had "not gotten out of the bunker" and helped to > organize the country or its political and security institutions.Also > on his itinerary is a meeting with Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi leader. > On the campaign trail, Obama has said one benefit of withdrawing U.S. > troops is that it would pressure al-Maliki to shore up his government > as well.Nonetheless, he said he did not plan to reiterate those messages in person."I'm > more interested in listening than doing a lot of talking, and I think > it's very important to recognize that I'm going over there as a U.S. > senator," he said. "We have one president at a time."In a speech this week, Obama said the war in Iraq was a distraction, unlike the fighting in Afghanistan."This > is a war that we have to win," he said. "I will send at least two > additional combat brigades to Afghanistan, and use this commitment to > seek greater contributions with fewer restrictions from NATO allies."I > will focus on training Afghan security forces and supporting an Afghan > judiciary, with more resources and incentives for American officers who > perform these missions."By contrast, his opposition to the war > in Iraq and call for an end to the U.S. combat role helped him > overcome his rivals in the battle for the Democratic presidential > nomination.Lately, his efforts to explain how he will use what > he learns from U.S. commanders to refine his proposals have brought > charges from Republicans and complaints from Democratic liberals that > he seems to be shifting his Iraq policy toward the political center. > But Obama maintains his basic goal of ending the U.S. combat role soon > remains unchanged and that he's always said the U.S. withdrawal must be > done carefully.Obama also arranged to visit Jordan, Israel, > Germany, France and England, traveling aboard a jet chartered by his > presidential campaign, before his return to the United States. The > weeklong trip marks his only foreign excursion as a presidential > candidate; McCain has visited Canada, Colombia and Mexico, in part to > highlight Obama's opposition to trade deals with those allies.Obama began his trip with as much secrecy as a presumed presidential nominee can muster.The > senator took an unmarked, corporate Gulfstream-III jet, much smaller > than his normal campaign plane, from Chicago to Washington. He was > joined by his Secret Service detail, spokeswoman Linda Douglass and two > reporters.Obama deplaned at Reagan National Airport in > Washington, took one question apiece from the reporters, and then his > motorcade departed for a hasty ride to Andrews Air Force Base about 10 > miles away in Maryland.Upon his arrival, Obama was greeted by a > group of Air Force personnel at the bottom of stairs leading to the > military Boeing 737 transporting his congressional delegation. Obama's > traveling companions, Sens. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and Jack Reed, R.I., > were not visible to the reporters, but Douglass confirmed they were > already on board the aircraft.Both senators, each a veteran, > have been mentioned as potential Obama vice presidential running mates, > but Reed has said he's not interested in the job.Few citizens in > impoverished Afghanistan were aware of Obama's unannounced visit, and > few have been following the U.S. presidential race, being too busy > eking out an existence amid soaring violence and with limited access to > news media.But some interviewed Saturday said they would welcome > an Obama presidency if he could help their country end the fighting, > corruption and poverty that have crippled it for so long."Obama > is a good person," said Abdul Basir, 40, a former army officer. "During > his campaign I heard he was saying that if I become president I will > withdraw the U.S. troops from Iraq and bring them to Afghanistan and I > will attack on the terror center on other side of border (in Pakistan). > It is very important and I appreciated that."The Afghans expressed a readiness to see the end of the Bush presidency. Obama's racial heritage also has drawn attention here."He's > welcome to our war-torn city," said Habibullah Hamdard, a 42-year- old > teacher. "If he has loved his children, he should love the Afghan > children who are dying around the country every day. The white guy > couldn't do anything, let's see what the black guy can do." > > Associated Press writer Glen Johnson in Washington and Amir Shah in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report. >
