Obama was just on Face the Nation. Here's some of what he said. Obama calls it "precarious and urgent" to move troops to Afghanistan. "This is where they plan attacks. They have sanctuaries here."
One of the biggest strategic mistakes of the Bush administration was not finishing up in Afghanistan and rebuilding the country so people had confidence. "Now we have a chance to correct some of those errors," he said.
The U.S. has to take a regional approach to the problem. The U.S. government can compel Pakistan to act against the Taliban by leveraging the amount of aid the U.S offers to Pakistan. The U.S. he said gives a considerable amount of aid to Pakistan.
Lara Logan is a very good interviewer - Just thought I'd throw that in. She keeps an interview snappy, gets in her questions.
We haven't seen as much political progress in Iraq but there are other success, Obama said. "This is a perfect moment for us to say, 'we're going to shift our resources.'"
What does "mission accomplished" look like in Afghanistan? Stabilized Afganistan. Disabled al Qaeda, so they can't attack.
"Losing is not an option when it comes to Afghanistan."
Logan: Can "war on terror" be won if Bin Laden is captured?
It would be a symbolic win but wouldn't solve the problem.
Logan: There is a perception that you lack knowledge in world affairs?
The interesting thing that the people who are very experienced in foreign affairs don't have doubts, he said. The purpose of the trip, he said, was to establish relationships with people he expects to have relationships for 8-10 years.
He also wants to give a message that America intends to be a leader and a partner.
Do you have any doubts? "Never." Go Obama.
CNN: The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee met with Karzai in the capital city of Kabul during Obama's first visit to the Asian nation.
Shortly after the meeting, Obama left Afghanistan to continue a trip that will take him to the Middle East and Europe.
Although Obama is making the trip as a senator from Illinois and not a presidential candidate, it is aimed at boosting Obama's foreign policy credentials.
Obama has made Afghanistan a key focus of his foreign policy, saying that he would make it the central front in the "war on terror" if elected.
Reuters:
The meeting, which lasted nearly two hours and included lunch at the presidential palace in Kabul, covered a range of issues including terrorism and Afghanistan's vast narcotics trade, Karzai's office said in a statement.
The statement said the talks also touched on obstacles to efforts to rebuild Afghanistan after decades of war and amid a deadly insurgency by Taliban and other extremists.
Obama has made Afghanistan a key focus of his foreign policy pledges, saying it -- not Iraq -- should be the focus of the so-called "war on terror" and promising to send more troops to battle insurgents here if elected.
