Obama: U.S. encouraged by Afghan progress
KABUL, Afghanistan, March 28 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama said in Afghanistan Sunday "there has been "progress with respect to the military campaign against extremism in the region."
Obama met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai after arriving at Bagram Air Base on a trip the White House did not publicize in advance. The recently re-elected Karzai had been informed of Obama's visit only three days ago, The Washington Post reported.
In a brief public appearance with the Afghan leader following their meeting, Obama said Americans are "encouraged by the progress that's been made" in the country, singling out increased electricity production as an example.
"And I want to send a strong message that the partnership between the United States and Afghanistan is going to continue," Obama said. "We have seen already progress with respect to the military campaign against extremism in the region."
Obama called for further progress on "agricultural production, energy production, good governance, rule of law (and) anti-corruption efforts."
Karzai expressed "the gratitude of our people for the help that America has given us in the past eight years."
The New York Times reported the trip had been kept secret for security reasons. White House officials had told reporters Obama would be spending the weekend at Camp David with his family.
National Security Adviser Jim Jones, accompanying Obama, said perhaps the real reason for the visit was to engage Karzai "to make him understand that in his second term, there are certain things that have been not paid attention to, almost since day one," the Post reported.
Those include a "merit-based system for appointment of key government officials, battling corruption, taking the fight to the narco-traffickers, which ... provides a lot of the economic engine for the insurgents," Jones said.
Obama's first trip to Afghanistan as commander in chief came as military officials reported the number of American troops killed in Afghanistan roughly doubled in the first three months of this year, compared with the same period last year. The number of soldiers wounded has also soared.
Military officials say the higher casualty numbers resulted because U.S. forces are aggressively seeking out Taliban insurgents in population centers and are planning a major operation in the Kandahar, the Times said.
Obama: Afghan war is about Sept. 11
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, March 28 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama said in Afghanistan Sunday perpetrators of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks "still base their leadership" in the region.
Addressing about 2,000 U.S. service men and women and some coalition troops at Bagram Air Base, Obama said the U.S.-led military operation in Afghanistan is "absolutely essential to America's safety and security" because of the 2001 attacks.
"And this is the region where the perpetrators of that crime, al-Qaida, still base their leadership," he said. "Plots against our homeland, plots against our allies, plots against the Afghan and Pakistani people are taking place as we speak right here. And if this region slides backwards, if the Taliban retakes this country and al-Qaida can operate with impunity, then more American lives will be at stake."
During his first trip to Afghanistan as U.S. commander in chief, Obama also visited wounded U.S. military personnel at a medical clinic.
In his address to the troops, the president said U.S. public support for the mission is growing.
"Many of the troops that I ordered to Afghanistan have begun to arrive, and more are on the way," he said.
"And here in Afghanistan you've gone on the offensive. And the American people back home are noticing. We have seen a huge increase in support in -- stateside, because people understand the kinds of sacrifices that you guys are making, and the clarity of mission that you're bringing to bear."
Obama said the U.S-coalition operation in Afghanistan has resulted in "Afghans reclaiming their communities" and offensives in Pakistan have "seen violent extremists pushed out of their sanctuaries."
DeMint calls for repeal of healthcare bill
WASHINGTON, March 28 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C, said Sunday he hopes to repeal healthcare legislation and replace it with "real reform that puts patients in charge" of their care.
DeMint said on CBS' "Face the Nation" he would not back off from his earlier prediction that the healthcare reform battle would become President Barack Obama's "Waterloo."
"We'll find out in November (midterm elections) who won or lost this battle," he said.
He said polls showed a majority of Americans want Republicans to keep fighting the bill, signed into law last week, and added the reform measure would "destroy our healthcare system" and "bankrupt our country."
"I want to repeal it; I want to replace it with real reform that puts patients in charge of their healthcare again," DeMint said.
CBS noted a new poll by The Washington Post showed 46 percent of Americans support the bill while 50 percent oppose it.
DeMint, asked if the GOP would cooperate with Obama, said the president "has burned a lot of bridges on this healthcare reform package that he's rammed through Congress and rammed down the throats of the American people. The procedures that were used, the backroom deals, the kickbacks have created a lot of bad feelings."
But DeMint added: "We're still looking for ways that we can work together with the president, particularly on foreign policy as it relates to the security of Americans. We have to keep that."
Graham calls for WH immigration bill
WASHINGTON, March 28 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., accused the White House Sunday of dragging its feet on immigration reform.
"The president promised to pass an immigration reform bill in his first year. They've done almost nothing in the White House on immigration," Graham said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
The White House has suggested Graham and Sen. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., write reform legislation for Obama to consider, Politico reported Sunday.
But Graham said the president should draft the legislation.
"I urge the president to write a bill and see if he can get another Republican, see if he can convince the 16 Democrats who voted no (on reform) last time," Graham said.
"Let him do some heavy lifting here on immigration ... .Write a bill and send it to me. I'll be glad to look at it."
But Schumer, also appearing on "Meet the Press," said Graham had understated Obama's commitment to immigration reform.
"The president supported our framework and he'll be right up front in helping us," Schumer said.
