Photo: Pete Souza/White House — President Obama waves to U.S. troops during a stop at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan March 28, 2010
Photo: Pete Souza/White House — President Obama makes an extra effort to shake hands with some of our troops during his visit to Afghanistan March 28, 2010
Photo: Pete Souza/White House — President Obama shares a fist bump with a female soldier in a mess hall in Afghanistan March 28, 2010
President Obama’s remarks to the troops:
The mission
“Our broad mission is clear: We are going to disrupt and dismantle, defeat and destroy al Qaeda and its extremist allies. That is our mission. And to accomplish that goal, our objectives here in Afghanistan are also clear: We’re going to deny al Qaeda safe haven. We’re going to reverse the Taliban’s momentum. We’re going to strengthen the capacity of Afghan security forces and the Afghan government so that they can begin taking responsibility and gain confidence of the Afghan people.”
Unwavering support from the American People
“And I know that sometimes when you’re watching TV, the politics back home may look a little messy, and people are yelling and hollering, and Democrats this and Republicans that. I want you to understand this: There’s no daylight when it comes to support of all of you. There’s no daylight when it comes to supporting our troops. That brings us together. We are all incredibly proud. We all honor what you do. And all of you show all of America what’s possible when people come together, not based on color or creed, not based on faith or station, but based on a commitment to serve together, to bleed together and to succeed together as one people, as Americans.”
The full text of the president’s comments here and more about his brief visit to Afghanistan on the White House blog.
