Barack Obama, Lara Logan CBS Interview: Obama Calls Afghanistan Situation "Precarious And Urgent" (VIDEO)

In his first overseas interview, Barack Obama told CBS News' Lara Logan that the situation in Afghanistan is "precarious and urgent." With violence rising from a resurgent Taliban, Obama stated that two or three more troop brigades need to be moved into the country. Obama also declared his belief that Afghanistan needs to be the "central focus, the central front on the battle against terrorism."

[WATCH]

Obama met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai today and pledged continued aid to the country as well as vowing to pursue the war on terror "with vigor."

To see photos and video of Obama's overseas trip so far, click here.

Watch the full interview with CBS News below:

Comments

[MetalPhil]

It makes me sad that Obama is this hawkish--I thought with all the anti-war sentiment going on in the US, we'd've figured out that attacking nation-states is not an appropriate way of dealing with non-state entities.

[MarkieBee]

have you been paying attention? What nation-state are we attacking? We are helping Karzai and the Afghanis by kicking Al Qaeda's arse - or we're going to kick their arses - once we get our troop out of the civil war in iraq.

[Veneita]

my bad I thought his attacks in Pakistan would just be by drones on targets but he just talked about going into pakistan to get OBL, would you disagree with that?

[Veneita]

MetalPhil, I disagree that he is a hawk. Obama opposes the Iraq war. I agree, it was unnecessary. However, bin Laden is somewhere either in Afghanistan or Pakistan. While he does not say he's going into Pakistan (like bush into Iran which Obama also opposes), finding bin Laden and stablizing Afghanistan is crucial to our security.

[shockjock]

All we want is Osama.

[schicklett3]

Senator Obama is a brilliant man who looks beyond the Washington fearmongering and rhethoric - he listens and learns and wants whats best for this country (regardless of what the naysayers try and lead you to believe). He is on a learning, fact finding mission, and I give him high praise for his efforts.
He will be an excellent, forceful, president, and he will not be swayed by interest groups.
In my humble opinion, nobody, including Hillary Clinton and John McCain, can hold a candle to this man. He will be one of the greatest presidents this country has known.

VOTE SMART - OBAMA '08!

[jimdog1954]

The American Renaissance begins in January. Glory hallelujah.

[kay]

The Maverick is going to get plenty of attention this week.

His theme is "the economy".

Oh, goody :)

[booksnmore4you]

Ladies and gentleman, President Barack Obama!

[thebanana]

He must be one of "us"...he's wearing a lapel flag.

[firewmn]

**

Barack Obama a... L E A D E R We can be PROUD. OF....!!!

**

Yes WE Can... 2008, 2012.....

[nellie]

It is a real pleasure to hear someone talk abut international affairs in a manner that is presidential, intelligent, humane, and confident.

[Ifeomamn]

You are looking at the next President of USA. I am so proud of Senator Obama.

[Liberoservative]

FX'd UP News has already spun the CBS interview by focusing on ONE thing said by O...

When asked if he had doubts about his foreign policy vision.. he said... "Never"

They have now spun this so far from the truth that I'm not even sure what their point is....

Of course he is confident on his plan... it is the right plan, it is the inclusive plan, it is the plan that puts us back on the world stage rather than being the bully on the block....

[eden4barack08]

I LOVED that confidence. But of course the neocons have to make that the issue, because they've got nothing else on him except the 'naive & inexperienced' crap, which falls totally flat when anyone hears this guy talk. He clearly is the most informed and intelligent candidate I've seen in a looong time, and that just KILLS them.

[letsgetsmart]

This is great! Now the bought and paid for are using old dem arguments to try and make a case. Outstanding! Where are we going to get the troops? I guess you heard it from us so much that the repetition sunk in? Oh, that's right, the other side specializes in repetition to make a point when the facts aren't there. In the very short run a sane commander in chief will pull troops from just about any where. Once the reductions in our misdirected war start, we will have a rotation again. Within twelve months, we will have some rested troops again. We may even have a pick up in volunteers for our all volunteer army. Once our people see some quality leadership again, I wouldn't be surprised at all. So many good things happen when you have quality leadership.

[MourningDude]

How about if Barry starts by stating categorically that the lack of troops in Afghanistan is NOT our fault? How about if Barry lays the blame where it belongs, to France and Germany? How about if Barry demands that France and Germany simply meet their sworn obligations to NATO to send troops there, rather than force US soldiers to serve a 4th or 5th tour?

Barry said that 'going it alone' in Iraq was a big mistake. Now Barry wants to go it alone in Afghanistan when NATO is already there. He would rather blame America first when we have kept our promises and others have broken theirs. That's not leadership.

[4President]

So he goes after the perpetrators of 9/11, unilaterally or otherwise (security interests remember) and you have a problem with that. You want France and Germany to fight this war, don't you think if IRAQ was handled differently other nations may be more willing to spill blood?

[blindjester]

We can't expect conservatives to ever take responsibility for anything.

The failures in this war aren't Bush's fault, you whine. It's France! And Germany!

Seriously? We need France's help to win in Afghanistan? Is that what you think?

Lame. Let Bush and his dead-enders take some responsibility for their own failure.

[Actionmac]

redumblican dumb spin... when it comes to 9-11 we end up in Iraq and the redumblicans star with the we must not retreat from the war on terror. When it comes to Afghanistan the redumblicans don't seem to want to remember that that is where the people that attacked us on US soil ran and hid.

Thanks to the misinformed redumblican mcsame-ol-bots you get the INSANE statements that somebody else is responsible for bush mcsad and company making a wrong turn and refusing to get back on the correct road.

According to the redumblican mcsame-ol-spin-bots our Government is not responsible for taking care of other peoples/Government problems, but other Governments are responsible for ours.

[EvoMan]

I think he's blaming the inept Bush administration. That's not the same thing as blaming America, no matter how hard you try to spin it.

[AtheistUS]

We should thank France and Germany for not participating in criminal war in Iraq. We should also thank France for being first or one of first to initiate offensive in Afghanistan. As for the roops level - the morons and crooks sent troops to Iraq which had nothing to do with Al Qaeda. Now the same crooks dream about having in Iraq somebody similar to Sadam, who was ordinary dictator, at odds with Iran and Al Qaeda.
Everybody who supported Bush and war in Iraq must share guilt for the crimes, either as morons or as real bad guys.

[GeorgeKaplan]

It's all about OIL, but more importantly it's about OIL companies. B U S H and his friends have created the biggest foreign policy mess of modern times and I will give O B A M A -- if elected -- some room to move around in. Yes, even if he takes longer to bring the troops home than he says - 16 months. It matters how we leave... and it matters what we are leaving behind. For O B A M A politically, I think he will need to have the process of returning troops in progress during his first term.

Let's face it until he is the President I don't think he will have the real story of how big this mess really is. Our government and especially the executive branch is not telling us the truth.

[BlueStateMan]

Bingo.

[tropicartisan]

He's definitely pulling a "Clinton".

Let me get this straight, BinLaden and AlQueda are upset because western armies are invading and influencing their Arab countries, demoralizing their people and robbing their resources.

They continually ask us to mind our own business and we won't. So they attacked us.

So now we are continuing to do what has upset the middle east in the first place, with more vigor. Invading, attacking, "taking out" people we don't like to get resources or prevent countries from benefitting from their own resources. This does not seem very smart to me.

OBama is just another war-mongering senatorial jerk without a clue and the mandatory huge ego. This is what you get with a one-party system.

[avraamjack]

.
Hopefully he is not pulling a "Clinton".
.
Triangulation = Clinton.
.

[okayigive]

All I can say is WOW!! It's nice to see someone speak with calmness, confidence, understanding, focus and intellect., that I feel an inner peace. It was also nice to hear actual answers to questions instead of the side-stepping or combative nature that I generally hear from the present pres. and Sen. Mcc. I like the way he sent the message to Pakistan that if they didn't get their act together then there will be consequences; and that the US will continue to lead, but not unilaterally, this show and gives respect to other nations while saying the US is worthy to lead again.

[NoahVail]

He sure looks and sounds presidential to me.

[nellie]

Agreed.

[eden4barack08]

Even more presidential than any I've seen in my lifetime.

[MYQUEEN7]

How ridiculous is it that the media is propagating the following storylines:
1. Obama has to be careful when he goes to Europe that people don't appear to happy to see him. It
might be offensive to the American people back here at home.
GIVE ME A BREAK. HE IS APPLAUDED ENTHUSIASTICALLY EVERYWHERE HE GOES!
2. Now that the economy is front and center, Obama should have given more thought to taking this trip
at this time. He has to be careful not to appear insensitive to Americans needs.
THE FAILING ECONOMY IS NOT A NEW ISSUE. IT IS THE SAME GROWING DISASTER IT HAS
BEEN FOR THE PAST 7.5 YEARS!
3. This trip can in no way make him better prepared to be POTUS. It's just a photo op!
WE WILL LET THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DECIDE THIS ONE!
4. Why would Obama give his strategy on Afghanistan and Iraq prior to going over there?
YOU CAN DO THAT WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN DOING YOUR HOMEWORK AND YOU KNOW WHAT
YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!

OBAMA 08...CHANGE WE BELIEVE IN!