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While In Kabul, Obama highlights foreign policy record
U.S. President Barack Obama addressing troops in Afghanistan 2012. PHOTO/File
President Barack Obama answered political taunts with presidential muscle Tuesday, addressing the nation from Kabul as Republicans said he’s overdoing the celebration of Osama bin Laden’s death one year ago.
The president’s secret flight to Afghanistan, where he signed off on details for withdrawing U.S. troops from the decade-long war there, was the type of campaign counterpunch that may play out many times in his re-election battle against Republican Mitt Romney.
Obama began his visit at the same air base where Navy SEALs launched their daring raid on bin Laden’s house in Pakistan.
Timing his pre-dawn speech in Kabul for evening viewing back home, Obama brought attention to his three chief foreign policy achievements: ending the Iraq war roughly as he promised in 2008; killing bin Laden, whose terrorist organization killed nearly 3,000 Americans on Sept. 11, 2001; and setting a timetable for ending the increasingly unpopular Afghanistan war.
Both political parties agree the November 6 election will hinge mainly on the U.S. economy. Before the campaign gets fully engaged, however, Obama is using his presidential prerogatives, and risking new complaints of political exploitation, to make his strongest possible case on military and diplomatic fronts.
“One year ago, from a base here in Afghanistan, our troops launched the operation that killed Osama bin Laden,” Obama said in his 10-minute speech in front of empty armored personnel carriers. “The goal that I set, to defeat al-Qaida, and deny it a chance to rebuild, is within reach.”
Republicans, and even some liberal allies, said Obama’s team went too far last week in releasing a campaign video suggesting Romney would not have ordered the risky nighttime raid on bin Laden’s suspected compound. But some Democratic strategists defended the strategy.
