Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Search
Search:
Bush makes stop in Afghanistan to rally troops
By JENNIFER LOVEN,AP White House Correspondent AP - Monday, December 15
KABUL, Afghanistan - President George W. Bush got a firsthand look Monday at the deteriorating situation in the seven-year-old Afghanistan war, amid preparations in his administration to hand a broad strategy overhaul over to President-elect Barack Obama and to significantly increase the U.S. troop presence.
Bush spoke to U.S. soldiers and Marines stationed in Afghanistan at a hangar on the tarmac at Bagram Air Base. The rally for over a thousand military personnel took place in the dark, cold pre-dawn hours _ it was about 5:30 a.m. local time when the president strode into the hangar to loud cheers.
"Afghanistan is a dramatically different country than it was eight years ago," he said. "We are making hopeful gains."
Bush then took a helicopter ride to Afghan President Hamid Karzai's palace in Kabul _ the portion of the 40-hour journey that made his security detail the most nervous. At the compound, Bush and Karzai reviewed an honor guard dressed in long tunic coats of dusty blue and olive with yellow belts and epaulets.
Inside, Bush received a warm personal welcome from Karzai.
"I and the Afghan people are very proud and honored to the profoundest depth of our hearts to have President Bush with us here today," Karzai said as they sat side by side.
But his message had a little sting. He emphasized how Bush's visit came only after repeated requests, and said he wished that Bush had more time and that the Afghan people could see Bush in person.
During a joint news conference after the meeting, Bush told Karzai he had an excuse for rushing back to Washington: His wife demanded his return to attend a holiday reception at the White House later Monday.
"After all, I did sneak out of town in the dark of night," he joked.
Bush said he is amazed and pleased by how much Afghanistan has changed in seven years, although he realizes there is much more difficult work ahead.
"I told the president, 'You can count on the United States,'" Bush said. "'Just like you've been able to count on this administration, you'll be able to count on the next administration as well.'"
Karzai said his country doesn't want to depend on international handouts forever, but stressed the help will still be needed for some time _ not before "we have taken from President Bush and the next administration billions and billions more dollars," he joked.
Bush's surprise stop in Afghanistan, his first in over 2 1/2 years and only the second of his presidency, was accompanied by extraordinary security. It came directly after a five-hour visit to Iraq that tried the nerves of Bush's Secret Service protectors.
During a press conference in Baghdad, an Iraqi reporter hurled two shoes at Bush. "This is your farewell kiss, you dog!" the protester shouted in Arabic.
American troops have been in Afghanistan since 2001, when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States led America to invade with an international coalition and oust the hard-line Taliban regime that had supported al-Qaida.
Bush's visit comes at a time when military violence is at its highest level since the invasion, with a growing U.S. and allied death toll, and when the political situation for Karzai, Afghanistan's fragile and weak U.S.-backed leader, is increasingly complicated.
Since September, the Bush administration has been conducting a wide review of its war strategy in Afghanistan, a road map which is expected to recommend that further expanding the Afghan army is the best path to success and a U.S. withdrawal. The Bush White House intends the strategy overhaul not as something it would implement _ as its time left in office is too short _ but as a guide for the incoming Obama administration.
Obama has called Afghanistan an "urgent crisis," saying it's time to heed the call from U.S. commanders there for significantly more U.S. troops.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates preceded Bush in both Afghanistan and Iraq. In Afghanistan on Thursday, before meeting with Gen. David McKiernan, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces there, Gates said the U.S. military will pour thousands of additional troops into Afghanistan by next summer.
Commanders have called for up to 20,000 more U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and addressing the situation there is fast becoming the United States' leading military priority. The need is especially great in southern Afghanistan, long a stronghold of the Taliban and the place where recent spikes in violence have proven the insurgency capable of reasserting itself.
There are about 31,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan now. Increasing that number as commanders desire requires pulling troops from Iraq and shifting the nation's focus from that battle to the escalating one in Afghanistan.
Gates has said the increase in U.S. forces is especially important ahead of national elections scheduled for next fall.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: World
Rice makes 11th-hour Mideast, Zimbabwe, Somalia foray at UNAFP - 1 hour 9 minutes ago
Bush: Iraq war is not over, more work aheadAP - 1 hour 37 minutes ago
Racial gap in colon cancer deaths is wideningAP - 1 hour 59 minutes ago
Arrest made in Oregon bank bombingAP - 2 hours 24 minutes ago
Global woes pose risks, also openings for USAP - 2 hours 26 minutes ago
Most Popular – World
Viewed
Actress Jennifer Aniston appears naked in GQ magazine
Queen Elizabeth II reins in extravagance as credit crunch grips
Fortis bank, saved from collapse, again on shaky ground
Russia crowned Miss World 2008 in African event
White House: no action on auto bailout while Bush in Iraq
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular