President Obama Visits Afghanistan
President Barack Obama began the week with a surprise visit to Kabul, Afghanistan. During the visit on March 28 he met with troops and President Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s current president. It was, however, a short visit; Obama arrived at dusk and left the country before dawn.
Obama did not commend Karzai during the visit and, instead, called him out for the corruption that his government continues to face.
“We have seen, already, progress with respect to the military campaign against extremism in the region,” the President said in a press conference with President Karzai after their meeting. “But we also want to continue to make progress of trade and agricultural production, energy production, good government rule of law, anti-corruption efforts.” He continued on to say that with the progress of such things, Afghanistan would become a “prosperous, more secure and independent” nation.
The visit concluded with a praising speech to troops.
“There is no visit that I consider more important than this visit I am making right now, because I have no greater honor than serving as your Commander-in-Chief,” he said. “And it is a privilege to look out and see the extraordinary effort of America’s sons and daughters here in Afghanistan. So my main job here today is to say ‘thank you’ on behalf on the entire American people.”
This visit was Obama’s first to the nation since becoming President. The week was a successful one for the leader, as he not only visited Kabul, but passed the health care bill that has been on his plate for so long.
Links to the videos I got the quotes from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFEk2A42FNE
Other sources:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/28/AR2010032800828.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/world/asia/29prexy.html
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