KABUL — President Barack Obama is pressing Afghan leader Hamid Karzai to crack down on corruption in his country while also strengthening the judicial system and promoting good governance.
Obama met with Karzai at the presidential palace in Kabul during an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Sunday. The White House said later than Karzai will come to Washington on May 12 for more talks.
Obama said Afghanistan has made progress in the military campaign against insurgents and improved services to Afghans.
Obama is expected to spend several hours in Afghanistan before beginning the long flight back to Washington.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
KABUL (AP) – President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Sunday for a firsthand look at the 8-year-old war he inherited and dramatically escalated.
After an overnight flight from Washington, the president landed in Afghanistan for a stay of just a few hours, all in darkness. He flew by helicopter from Bagram Air Field to the capital, where he was greeted at the presidential palace by Afghan leader Hamid Karzai, given just an hour's notice of Obama arrival. A military honor guard stood at attention as Obama walked across red carpets.
It was Obama's second stop in a war zone as commander in chief, coming about a year after a similarly secretive trip to Iraq.
The Afghanistan trip was intended to let Obama tell Karzai that he must crack down on corruption and cut the flow of money from poppy production and drug trafficking that is sustaining the insurgency. The U.S. also wants Karzai to halt cronyism and rewards for warlords in government hiring and to create an effective, credible judicial system.
Story continues below - (BUT THERE'S NO NEED TO READ ANY FURTHER)
Raise your hands. How many of you think, as I do, that Karzai is jerkin off the big guy while he's hugging old Mogtem Onamatopeia from Iran.( What the hell is his name. Ahmanididajob?)
As usual we are backing the wrong horse. Karzi was "duly" elected by the Iraqi people and now we don't like it that he runs the ship of state the way they have always run it -- for themselves. As in "corruption".
Like theyr'e gonna stop growing poppies?
Time to bring everybody home and circle the wagons. We can't afford to run the world our way anymore. Wish the United Corporations of America would come to grips with that and put us all back to work, Oh, that's right -- way too busy in corruption of their own.
Write to me if you can make a connection between the cartoon and the subject matter of this blob - er - blog.
There. I said it.
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