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Obama may get to meet enemies sooner than he expected
Obama off to Afghanistan
Barack Obama's plan to visit Iraq and Afghanistan is probably good politics (although we'll see when he actually goes.) But he better hurry to Afghanistan -- unless he wants to make good early on that promise to meet with our enemies, since they may be running the country soon:
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Hundreds of Taliban fighters have swarmed into a strategically important district just outside Kandahar, the biggest city in southern Afghanistan, apparently in a push for control just days after 400 Taliban members escaped in a spectacular breakout from the Kandahar prison, officials said.
By Tuesday, a tribal elder from the area reported, Taliban fighters had taken control of 18 villages, dug trenches and laid mines. The elder did not wish to be identified by name for fear of jeopardizing the safety of family members in the Arghandab area. It was unclear whether any of the prison escapees were among the fighters.
Recently, more U.S. and allied troops have been dying in Afghanistan than in Iraq. That's great that Iraq casualties have fallen, not such good news on the other front. If Bush is as worried about his legacy as he seems to be, he needs to make sure one of the few potential success stories of the last seven years doesn't have an unhappy ending.