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Bush flies in to rouse US troops
Ed Harris15.12.08
GEORGE Bush saw the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan at first hand today as he flew into a US air base to rally the troops.
The president spoke to soldiers stationed in Afghanistan at a hangar at Bagram air base. The pre-dawn rally for more than 1,000 personnel produced loud cheers as he said: "Afghanistan is a dramatically different country than it was eight years ago. We are making hopeful gains."
Mr Bush's stop in Afghanistan came after a trip to Baghdad, where an Iraqi reporter threw his shoes at the president - a reminder, if he needed one, of the deep unpopularity of the American presence. "It was a size 10," Mr Bush joked later.
He flew by helicopter to Kabul for talks with Afghan president Hamid Karzai, whose welcome came with a sting. Mr Karzai, who is bhacked by the US, emphasised how Mr Bush's visit came only after repeated requests, and said he wished the Afghan people could see Mr Bush in person.
In recent months, the military spotlight has begun to shift away from Iraq toward Afghanistan, where the death toll of US and Aliied troops is at its highest since the invasion.
American troops have been in Afghanistan since 2001, when the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States prompted America to invade with an international coalition force and oust the Taliban regime that had supported al Qaeda.
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 US withdrawal
President-elect Barack Obama has called Afghanistan an "urgent crisis," and said it is time to heed the call from US commanders for significantly more troops.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates preceded Mr Bush on his visits to Afghanistan and Iraq. In Afghanistan, on Thursday, before meeting Gen. David McKiernan, the commander of US and Nato forces there, Mr Gates said the US will pour thousands of additional troops into Afghanistan by next summer.
Commanders want up to 20,000 more troops, on top of the existing US force of 31,000. The need is especially great in southern Afghanistan, long a stronghold of the Taliban and where the recent surge in roadside bombs and suicide bombs has showed the tenacity of the militants.
The moment an Iraqi reporter hurled his shoes at the President...
Reader views (2)
The satanic war machine rolls on unabated.bush,cheney,rice,rumsfeld.should be in the hague for war crimes.1.2 million dead iraqis would agree.
- Frank, stoke-on -trent uk
This has echoes of Vietnam - a war we cannot afford to lose; it was the domino theory then, international terrorism now. An unpopular government in the capital whose writ does not run outside it; Saigon then, Kabul now. Unreliable and corrupt local forces putting pressure on the people in rural areas; the ARVN then and the Afghan police now. And the US then and NATO now, hurling explosive ordnance around carelessly with the result that the civilians turn to the insurgents for support and protection. Only this time Britain is involved and the other NATO nations apart from the US are being careful to remain on the sidelines like Germany or to get back there as soon as possible, like Canada. Thanks Mr Blair.
- Peter Haldane, London
