HE PLEDGES MORE TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN, YET HE SAYS THE SURGE IN IRAQ WASN'T WORKING. TELL AMERICANS HE WILL CHANGE FOREIGN POLICY THEN PLEDGES MORE TROOPS. INTERESTING. HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO.   more...HE IS A MAGIC ACT.  less

Fresh from his recent overseas trip aimed at bolstering his foreign policy credentials, Democratic candidate for president Barack Obama spoke at the Unity Journalism Conference about his impressions of   more...the trip. (July 27)  less

Population Control, fuel and food shortages, Heart Sutra

European public hails Obama as the anti-Bush, but politicians cool to idea of more troops in Afghanistan

Obama visits Afghanistan to tour war zone

By NAHAL TOOSI, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 5 minutes ago

KABUL, Afghanistan - Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama started a campaign-season tour   more...of combat zones and foreign capitals, visiting with U.S. forces in Kuwait and then Afghanistan — the scene of a war he says deserves more attention and more troops.
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The Illinois senator arrived Saturday in Kabul as part of an official congressional delegation and then flew to eastern Afghanistan. Staff. Sgt. David Hopkins said Obama and two other senators were making a brief stop in Jalalabad airfield, in Nangarhar province, to visit with soldiers stationed there.

The delegation also met with top military leaders and troops at Bagram Air Base, the main U.S. military base in the country, according to a U.S. military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity because the officer was not authorized to release the information.

Obama's first visit to Afghanistan, coming less than four months before the general election, was rich with political implications. Republican presidential rival John McCain has criticized Obama for his lack of time in the region. Obama is also expected to stop later in Iraq.

En route to Afghanistan, Obama stopped Friday at Camp Arifjan, the main U.S. military base in Kuwait and a major gateway for U.S. soldiers moving into and out of Iraq.

Lt. Col. Bill Nutter, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Kuwait, said, "He talked to soldiers and constituents and met with senior military leadership."

During the two-hour visit, Nutter said, the officers gave him an overview of operations. Obama shook hands, answered questions, posed for photos and played a little basketball during the visit.

Sultan Ahmad Baheen, spokesman for Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry, said Saturday that Obama would meet with President Hamid Karzai during his visit.

"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."

Underscoring the challenges in Afghanistan, authorities reported Saturday that a roadside bomb killed four policemen in the volatile south of the country where the Taliban-led insurgency is intensifying nearly seven years after a U.S.-led invasion ousted the militant movement from power.

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.

Obama 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 later in the trip 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."

The duration and details of Obama's stay in Afghanistan have not been formally disclosed, and media access was limited.

Traveling with Obama were Sens. Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican and Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island. The senators, both military veterans, have been mentioned as potential Obama vice presidential running mates, but Reed has said he's not interested in the job.   less

Aijaz Ahmad: There is no military solution to the war in Afghanistan (3/4)

Obama

obama

Fishing In Afghanistan

Obama

Drowning Pool have stepped up their efforts for better mental health care for US Troops returning from battle. The band, along with the IAVA, presented Representative Patrick Murphy with a petition containing   more...25,000 signatures in support of the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act.  less

Obama interview

Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), delivered a speech on August 1, 2007 on the subject of world-wide terrorism at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

Ever since 2003, I have longed to hear any politician -- particularly   more...a Democrat -- deliver a speech with the kind of clarity and vision as this one delivered by Senator Obama.

It is about time that politicians stopped beating around the Bush/Cheney and give us the truth of how this fiasco in Iraq has been a setback to America's fight against global terrorism.

For me, I am so tired of the Iraq diversions by this administration and their total ineptitude at going after those bastards in Afghanistan that killed 3,000 of our citizens.

BRAVO!!

Senator Obama, you now have my vote!

Video of speech on <a href="rtsp://video.c-span.org/archive/c08/c08_080107_obama2.rm">C-SPAN</a>

Speech <a href="http://www.cfr.org/publication/13974/obamas_speech_at_woodrow_wilson_center.html
">Transcript</a>  less

Fishing-In-Afghanistan

why Obama.

Heavily armed fighters launched two of the biggest insurgent attacks in Afghanistan in years, culminating early Tuesday with six suicide bombers charging the second-largest U.S. base. (Aug. 19)

Michelle Obama

China and other countries owning America? Google NAU and NAFTA Super-Highway and find out http://www.eagleforum.org/topics/NAU http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=14965

BBJ57 report about the upcoming draft.

BBJ57 now thesludgereport2 on youtube was banned for this video, along with my others who posted it for Joe.

AH-64 Apache in Action in Afghanistan

"As is the case with so many of Gordon Lightfoot's songs, this one could have many interpretations. I hope you enjoy mine." ~~ Lynn

Link For online discussions about Gordon Lightfoot , his music   more...and related topics
http://www.corfid.com/
Link to Gordon Lightfoot website maintained by Wayne Francis
http://www.lightfoot.ca/

The House You Live In (Summertime Dream) 2:50

Go first in the world, go forth with your fears
Remember a price must be paid
Be always too soon, be never too fast
At the time when all bets must be laid
Beware of the darkness, be kind to your children
Remember the woman who waits
And the house you live in will never fall down
If you pity the stranger who stands at your gate

When you're caught by the gale and you're full under sail
Beware of the dangers below
And the song that you sing should not be too sad
And be sure not to sing it too slow
Be calm in the face of all common disgraces
And know what they're doin' it for
And the house you live in will never fall down
If you pity the stranger who stands at your door

When you're out on the road and feelin' quite lost
Consider the burden of fame
And he who is wise will not criticize
When other men fail at the game
Beware of strange faces and dark dingy places
Be careful while bending the law
And the house you live in will never fall down
If you pity the stranger who stands at your door

When you're down in the dumps and not ready to deal
Decide what it is that you need
Is it money or love, is it learnin' to live
Or is it the mouth you must feed
Be known as a man who will always be candid
On questions that do not relate
And the house you live in will never fall down
If you pity the stranger who stands at your gate

And the house you live in will never fall down
If you pity the stranger who stands at your gate (more)  less

my thoughts on Wright and obama with no judgements just my opnions

Afghanistan compilation- With Some Metal Music