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Obama Rallies US Troops in Kabul, Meets With Karzai

   VOA News 29 March 2010

Photo: AP

   President   Barack   Obama  rallies  troops  at  Bagram  Air  Base  in
   Afghanistan, Sunday, March 28, 2010.

   U.S.  President Barack Obama has pressed Afghan President Hamid Karzai
   to  crack  down on corruption and improve his government's performance
   during an unannounced trip to Afghanistan.
   Mr.   Obama's  six-hour  visit  to  Kabul  began  with  talks  at  the
   presidential  palace.   He  praised  efforts  by  Mr.  Karzai and his
   Cabinet  to  secure the country, but also said officials need to crack
   down on corruption and expand the rule of law.
   Mr.  Karzai  expressed  gratitude  for  U.S.  support  and pledged his
   country   would   move  forward  and  eventually  take  over  its  own
   security.    The   White  House  said  President  Karzai  will  visit
   Washington on May 12.
   President Obama also met with U.S. military officers and troops at the
   Bagram  air  base  north  of  Kabul.   He  said  the  U.S. mission in
   Afghanistan  is  clear:  to  disrupt,  dismantle,  defeat  and destroy
   al-Qaida and its extremist allies.  Â
   Mr. Obama stressed the importance of the troops' mission, saying it is
   essential to America's security.  He said U.S. lives would be at risk
   if the Taliban regains control of the country.
   In  southern  Helman  province,  international  forces  are working to
   consolidate  their  control  over  territory formerly held by militant
   fighters.    The   allied  team  also  is  preparing  for  battle  in
   neighboring Kandahar province, birthplace of the Taliban.
   Since  he  became president last year, Mr. Obama has shifted attention
   from  the  war  in  Iraq,  where  the  United  States  is reducing its
   presence, to Afghanistan, ordering the deployment of 30,000 additional
   troops there.  Relations between the U.S. and Mr. Karzai's government
   have been strained at times since the Afghan leader won re-election in
   a controversial ballot marred by widespread fraud.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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