Obama Travels to Asia Nov. 13-19

Obama will travel first to Japan, Nov. 13-14, then to Singapore, Nov. 14-15, China, Nov. 15-18, South Korea, Nov. 18-19. He'll give a speech (see details below) in Tokyo on Nov. 14:

President Barack Obama will travel to Asia from November 13 -19 to strengthen U.S. cooperation with this growing center of global power. A long list of issues crowds the U.S. policy agenda in the region: security, economic, environment, and energy among others.

Denuclearization of North Korea, China's holding of U.S. debt, the realignment of U.S. security forces in Japan, and international agreements on trade and climate change may pose challenges to the president as he tours the region.

For the president's first stop, in Tokyo, CFR's Senior Fellow for Japan Studies Sheila Smith lays out an agenda for revitalizing the U.S. relationship with a new Japanese government. Southeast Asia Fellow Joshua Kurlantzick stresses the need for greater trade liberalization at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Singapore.

CFR's Director of Asia Studies Elizabeth Economy advises Obama to listen to a range of Chinese voices beyond those of Communist party leaders while he's in China, and CFR's Scott Snyder says regional security issues as well as coordination of response to the global financial crisis will be on the Seoul agenda.

Ahead of the president's trip, a new Council Special Report urges the administration to play a more strategic role in the changing landscape of Asian multilateral organizations. It also calls for the United States to have more vigorous economic engagement with the region. More at CFR

Detailed travel schedule:

NOV. 12 - Obama leaves Washington, and stops in Alaska to meet with troops at Elmendorf Air Force Base.

November 13-14 - TOKYO

Obama arrives in Tokyo on November 13, and holds a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama at about 7 p.m. local time (5 a.m. EST), followed by a joint press conference.

On November 14, Obama will make a major speech at Suntory Hall in Tokyo at 10 a.m. local time, in which he will discuss his view of U.S. engagement in Asia and reaffirm the strength of Washington's alliance with Japan.

Later in the day, Obama will meet with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.

NOV 14-15 - SINGAPORE

Obama travels to Singapore the evening of November 14.

On November 15, he will hold a bilateral meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and then go to the leaders meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

At about 2 p.m. local time the same day, Obama will hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and then hold what the White House says is the first meeting between a U.S. president and all 10 leaders of the 10 Southeast Asian countries that make up ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Finally on November 15, Obama will hold a bilateral meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

November 15-18 - SHANGHAI and BEIJING

Obama travels to Shanghai the evening of November 15.

On Monday, November 16, he will meet with the city's mayor, and then hold an event in which he will have a dialogue with Chinese youth, speaking to them, taking questions and hearing directly from them. He travel to Beijing Monday evening, and will have dinner with President Hu Jintao.

On November 17, Obama will hold a bilateral with Hu, followed by a joint press conference, after which he will sightsee in Beijing. There will be a state dinner that night.

On November 18, Obama will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, and do more sightseeing, before traveling to South Korea.

November 18-19 - SEOUL

Obama arrives in Seoul the night of November 18. The morning of the 19th, he holds a bilateral meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, after which the two will hold a press conference.

Obama will then meet with U.S. troops stationed in Korea, before leaving on his trip back to the United States, where he is scheduled to arrive early on November 20. Reuters

Obama In Iraq

Update: Obama to meet with Gen. David Petraeus. It's now early eve in Iraq. Obama has kept quiet in Iraq so far. Nice move. McCain and Lieberman and the rest have enough to chew on. What's funny, is Obama's hardline critics are having a tough time coming up with things to criticize him about. Here's William Kristol saying virtually nothing. 

Out of Afghanistan, on to Iraq, where it's noon already (check out my Obama time in the sidebar). I'm getting tired of the line that the media has settled on: "seeking to boost his foreign policy credentials."

The U.S. embassy said Obama, who is visiting Iraq as part of a U.S. congressional delegation, would meet senior Iraqi officials and U.S. military commanders.

Seeking to boost his foreign policy credentials, Obama will travel to other countries in the Middle East and also visit major powers in Europe this week.

Obama courted controversy on July 3 when he said he might "refine" his views on withdrawing combat troops from Iraq within 16 months but later said his stance had been unchanged for more than a year and that he intended "to end this war."

McCain says a U.S. troop buildup last year helped boost stability in Iraq and has criticized Democrats' vows for a quick withdrawal as "reckless."

But with violence down dramatically, Baghdad has become increasingly assertive about its own security capabilities.

Indeed, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and President George W. Bush agreed late last week to set a "time horizon" for reducing American forces in Iraq.

It was the closest the Bush administration has come to acknowledging the need for a timeframe for U.S. troop cuts. Bush has long opposed deadlines for troop withdrawals.

Maliki earlier this month suggested setting a timetable for U.S. troops to leave Iraq, although he had given no dates.

More on Karzai: Obama would be a strong partner:

Bloomberg: Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai came away from a meeting today with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama expecting he would have a ``strong partner'' in the White House no matter who wins the U.S. election, his spokesman said.

Obama and U.S. Senators Chuck Hagel and Jack Reed spent an hour and 45 minutes with Karzai and his top aides in the presidential palace in Kabul, including a lunch of Afghan rice, lamb and chicken, spokesman Humayun Hamidzada told reporters.

The Illinois senator, 46, is on a six-day tour that also will include stops in Iraq, Israel and Western Europe. Obama said in a CBS News interview in Afghanistan that that nation ``has to be our central focus, the central front of our battle against terrorism.''

``Losing is not an option when it comes to Afghanistan,'' Obama said in the interview. ``One of the biggest mistakes we've made strategically after 9/11 was to fail to finish the job here,'' he said, referring to the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, which harbored the al-Qaeda terrorist network that launched the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Obama's Trip Details

Update: Details and map of his trip

Update: Obama lands in Afghanistan
More details on Obama's trip overseas. Here are the people he'll meet:

Time: The campaign also provided a fuller list than we have seen to date of the foreign leaders with whom Obama will be meeting. They include: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Conservative Party Leader David Cameron; German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier; French President Nicolas Sarkozy. In Israel, he will meet with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu. And in Ramallah, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salaam Fayad.

I'm hoping Obama's trip is more than swooning folks, though it's exciting to know that Obama inspires so many, and yes, I want to see them swoon. 

I hope, and I think that he will, have meaningful discussions with all the leaders he meets.
Then, I hope Americans are satisfied that he's ready to be commander in chief and he gets back to the economy because people really want to hear more details on that. 

There's no sign that foreclosures are letting up. What's going to happen to the surplus of houses?
The economy is such a mess. It's like all the pieces of the puzzle went awry. How to put it back together?
Obama needs to blow McCain out of the water with more economy details. 

Couric, Gibson, Williams To Follow Obama

News names Katie Couric, Brian Williams and Charlie Gibson will cover Obama's trip overseas. I can't wait to hear an intelligent update on Iraq. 

WaPo: Barack Obama's upcoming swing through Europe and the Middle East is now guaranteed to be a major media event, certified by the presence of the three network anchors.

The Washington Post has learned that Brian Williams, Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric will travel overseas next week, lured by the prospect of interviews with the presumed Democratic candidate. That means the NBC, ABC and CBS newscasts will originate from stops on the trip and undoubtedly play it up.

Obama's travel plans:

In Israel, Obama is expected to arrive on Tuesday July 22 or Wednesday July 23 to meet with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The French news agency Agence France-Press reports French President Nicolas Sarkozy will meet with Obama at the Elysee Palace on Friday July 25.