Obama: Terrorists gathering in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON, July 27 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said Sunday it appears terrorists are regrouping in Afghanistan, making it the "central front on terror."

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that during his just-completed tour of the Middle East and Europe, he saw signs the fight against terror should be focused on Afghanistan.

"It was clear to me that Afghanistan is the central front on terror; that the Taliban and al-Qaida have reconstituted themselves," he said on the news program. "They have safe havens along the Afghan/Pakistan border."

The senator called for additional coalition troops in Afghanistan rather than Iraq and praised those soldiers currently serving in both countries.

Yet Obama did detail his plan to leave some U.S. troops in Iraq if the major troop withdrawal he supports does take place.

"I have committed to make sure that we've got a residual force that can do a couple of things," he said. "We can provide logistical support, intelligence support, training for Iraqi troops is still going to be critical."