Posted on 05/25/2014 9:42:37 AM PDT by kristinn
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, May 25 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama traveled to Afghanistan on Sunday for a surprise Memorial Day weekend visit to meet with U.S. troops who are preparing to withdraw after nearly 13 years of war.
Spirited out of Washington aboard Air Force One, Obama flew for more than 13 hours for the brief visit to Bagram Air Base, the main U.S. base in the country.
The trip comes as Obama is buffeted by criticism at home that his handling of U.S. foreign policy has been too passive in dealing with crises from Syria to Ukraine and Russia.
He is to respond to the criticism in a speech on Wednesday at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. His Afghan visit is bound to be seen by some critics as an attempt to redeem himself in the eyes of military veterans who are alarmed at allegations that government-run medical facilities in the United States have not provided timely care for veterans.
Obama, making his fourth trip to Afghanistan, was to be briefed by Army General Joseph Dunford, who heads U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham, as he nears a decision on how many U.S. troops to leave behind after most are gone by year's end.
During a visit scheduled to last just a few hours, Obama was also set to speak to the troops and go to the base hospital to see wounded soldiers.
Obama had no plans to visit the Afghan capital Kabul nor would he meet Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai or other government officials. This allows him to avoid getting immersed in the country's presidential election campaign to choose a successor.
(Excerpt) Read more at trust.org ...
You can bet he brought a full contingent of MSM reporters to insure that he gets full coverage. What a phoney!
I really snicker at the implied “secrecy” of this visit...
Under the cover of darkness???
What a [expletive deleted]!!!
Especially with the entourage he brought with him???
Two years since he last visited there and I’ll bet a dollar to a donut he won’t be back during his remaining time as POTUS.
He is taking a “Defeat Lap”.
It’s a new concept
Pure opportunistic photo-op by Clown Prince Nobama. How many suck veterans could have been treated for the cost of this buffoon’s latest global jaunt on AF1? In a sense, Clown Prince nobama is killing more Veterans on Memorial day.
This visit is supposed to signal to all of us that this president really does love the military, and that this country is governed by a very patriotic administration. At some point, we may even see a picture of tears streaming down his face...
A “campaign” response to a pressing problem again ... and again ... and again.
I applaud entertainers who go there, no matter who the Prez is.
This is the same embarrassing skidmark that thinks Marines are for holding umbrellas and Ambassadors are to be killed.
Maybe Afghanistan will offer him asylum?
Campaign event to minimize the VA hospitals’ scandal fallout.
I’m sure the men are real glad to see this puke.
Couldn’t agree more. I feel sorry for those guys, they, I’m sure were commanded to go. At least I can turn my TV off, they were most definitely a captive audience.
I had hoped that they would keep him over there, but no such luck.....even they don’t want him. All I can say is that people of the US wanted change, and they sure got it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.