After protestations that included a tweet from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul saying “reports that President Obama is in Kabul are false,” the White House announced a short time ago that Obama is indeed at President Hamid Karzai’s palace and will deliver a televised address to the American people tonight.
“Our previous tweet that Obama was not in Afghanistan was true; he has since arrived to sign the Strategic Partnership Agreement,” the Embassy followed up on Twitter.
The White House pool report noted that press were directed to assemble at Andrews Air Force Base last night but were under an embargo from reporting about the trip until after Obama arrived in Afghanistan.
The president, whose schedule just indicated a day of meetings at the White House, left shortly after midnight and arrived at Bagram air base after 10 p.m. local time. He then flew by helicopter to the presidential palace in Kabul.
Obama’s speech will be at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time.
For all of the secrecy imposed on the trip, local Afghan TV announced Obama’s visit hours before the White House lifted its embargo.
Senior administration officials “said the timing of the trip was driven by the negotiations over the Strategic Partnership Agreement and by the desire of both presidents to sign the agreement in Afghanistan prior to the NATO summit in Chicago later this month,” according to the pool report. “However, the officials also acknowledged that the timing coincides with the first anniversary of the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden.”
His address tonight is expected to mention the bin Laden raid.
Some lawmakers came along for the ride: The office of Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) just notified that the senator is in Afghanistan with Obama “and will witness the signing ceremony of an historic partnership with Afghanistan.”
So he isn’t going to “spike the football”… maybe what he meant to say was “I’m not going to just spike the football but carry it around held high for all to see and then go over and do a victory dance on the grave… look at me and how awesome I am!”…
Now that the political time is right Obama decides to visit the troops for a photo op and political speech.
He’ll be showing up at his never ending campaign events in Seal gear in a few weeks.
He’s pretty gutsy for human Barney.
Here is a great skit from Latma on Obama killing Osama (starting at 2mins mark) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3vpIG6BlzA
I just want to know if he flew and landed the plane himself.
You know, as he has said, he can do everything better than those he hires to work for him. He is going to reveal that not only did he fly Air Force One on this trip – but that a year ago on this day he was actually leading the Seal Team on its assault after he green lit the operation, and he PERSONALLY authorized the killing of Bin Laden once the facts on the ground became evident, and then he carried out his own order by firing the gun that took him out. He then hung out and partied with Secret Service. Ok, that last line was stretching the truth a bit, but the rest is true.
For serious!
Not merely spiking the football, but a full blown Terell Owens endzone dance. 15 yard penalty for excessive celebration.
My sincere condolences to those brave Men and Women still serving in Afghanistan who will be forced to listen to yet another politician who loathes them but has no shame in using them to advance his faux demagoguery
The Negotiator-with-the-taleban in Chief talks to the troops ?
“Forward ! To surrender !”
I will not listen to the “spiker in chief” as he takes a victory lap (yet again) for the easiest part of the raid to get OBL. Instead I will think about the brave SEALS and their families.
This is where he ties the necktie around his forehead, picks up the belt-fed 50 cal and leads the celebration himself, right?
Eat your heart out Stallone, Obambus is the one he’s been waiting for.
This Thanksgiving trip by George Bush was the most cynical transparent thing ever, and the fact that he is going to get good press out of it ticks me off to no end. I bet the turkey wasn’t even real…..
Not to be taken as we shouldn’t mock this trip. Just pointing out the precedent has been set. Have at it.
I personally loved the part where the President recognizes the ancient Masonic symbol the Afghans are using and made the arrow his scepter….
And the Democrats got their panties in a bunch when Bush appeared on an Aircraft Carrier. Bet that was a lot cheaper that traveling to Afghanistan for his campaign trip…
Who knew they even had golf courses in Afghanistan?
Or is he really there to attend fundraisers in Poppytown?
– you have just finished speaking. But your subsequent deeds must not belie your words, Sir. There is an ancient tradition between nations of exchanging children to demonstrate good will. Let your daughters be schooled in Afghanistan and take in two girls from there to be raised here in America. The Taliban, given your background, will trust you. Behold how your own varied life was enriched by living among foreign cultures. Let not the events prior to September 11, 2001 come between our countries. Respectfully submitted to your Excellency for immediately implementation by the White House.
Every additional day staying in Afcrapistan is another additional day of Operation Enduring Insanity, The Trillion Dollar Bridge to Nowhere.
President Zero acts like he was there, fast-roping down from the stealth helicopter with the SEAL team and personally delivered the bullet to bin laden’s head.