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Last update - 16:08 19/07/2008
Report: Obama's planned visit to Mideast raises serious security concerns
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Middle East, Jerusalem, Obama

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday, as part of a Middle East trip that has many concerned about the candidate's safety.

"At approximately 3:15 a.m. (0715 GMT), I received a phone call telling me that Senator Obama had landed at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan," Robert Gibbs, a top aide to the Illinois senator, said in a written statement.

Few citizens in impoverished Afghanistan were aware of Obama's unannounced visit, and few have been following the U.S. presidential race, being too busy eking out an existence amid soaring violence and with limited access to news media.
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But some interviewed Saturday said they would welcome an Obama presidency if he could help their country end the fighting, corruption and poverty that have crippled it for so long.

"Obama is a good person," said Abdul Basir, 40, a former army officer. During his campaign I heard he was saying that if I become president I will withdraw the U.S. troops from Iraq and bring them to Afghanistan and I will attack on the terror center on other side of border (in Pakistan). It is very important and I appreciated that.

The Afghans expressed a readiness to see the end of George W. Bush's
presidency. Obama's racial heritage also has drawn attention here.

"He's welcome to our war-torn city, said Habibullah Hamdard, a 42-year-old teacher. If he has loved his children, he should love the Afghan children who are dying around the country every day. The white guy couldn't do anything, let's see what the black guy can do."

Obama left the United States on Thursday and stopped first in Kuwait, where he visited troops, Gibbs said.

Obama's upcoming trip to Israel and the West Bank has raised serious security concerns among American officials, the U.S.-based news website Drudge Report reported Friday.

Obama was scheduled to visit Israel and the West Bank in the coming days as part of a swing through the Middle East, Palestinian and Israeli officials said earlier this week.

Obama will be in Israel on July 22 and 23 and hold talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, President Shimon Peres and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, an Israeli official said.

Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat said Obama would also meet President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah next Wednesday.

The Drudge report said that security concerns were raised after a border policeman shot himself dead at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport last month, 200 meters from where French President Nicolas Sarkozy was getting ready to board a plane ending his trip to Israel.

"I would prefer if he did not make the trip to Ramallah," the report cited a Washington official as saying, adding that "he must use extreme caution throughout Israel at this time, in my opinion, especially Jerusalem."

Over the last four months the capital has seen three terror attacks in which 11 people had been killed and dozens had been wounded.

Senior sources revealed that Obama's foot tour of the Old City had been canceled, the report added.

Obama's official itinerary was not made public.

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      1.   DON`T KILL HIM !! 20:51  |  HIRAM 18/07/08
      2.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 21:31  |  Arie 18/07/08
      3.   If he wishes to visit , let him do so, but...... 21:32  |  Arie 18/07/08
      4.   so hes going to meet with abbas? 21:59  |  vik 18/07/08
      5.   To Arie 22:40  |  Pali 18/07/08
      6.   Arie - Death Threats are Serious Concern 23:47  |  Mark of Lewiston 18/07/08
      7.   Here`s What We`ll Do 23:53  |  Yosemite 18/07/08
      8.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 23:58  |  Hilda 18/07/08
      9.   Has Obama ever traveled outside the USA? 00:10  |  Jeremy 19/07/08
      10.   The concern is Ramallah 00:15  |  Great White North 19/07/08
      11.   Nothing to worry about- he`ll be greeted like the mehdi 00:16  |  Sima 19/07/08
      12.   hey Mark 00:41  |  vik 19/07/08
      13.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 02:02  |  kiwi girl 19/07/08
      14.   Fear politics 02:12  |  Baz Mann 19/07/08
      15.   Much ado about nothing 02:25  |  Mark Lincoln 19/07/08
      16.   Yes Obama as been outside the country 02:38  |  Obama 08 19/07/08
      17.   Vik - Security is no Joke 03:00  |  Mark of Lewiston 19/07/08
      18.   Barack could get shot going to the gas station 03:20  |  Post American 19/07/08
      19.   BRAVO OBAMA, A WONDER BOY FROM JAKARTA 04:05  |  indrajaya 19/07/08
      20.   YOU PEOPLE HAVE A LOT TO LEARN 04:26  |  PEY 19/07/08
      21.   west bank 04:52  |  curious george 19/07/08
      22.   OLD CITY 04:57  |  Brian 19/07/08
      23.   DON`T VISIT THE OLD CITY 05:24  |  indrajaya 19/07/08
      24.   Absurd excuse for a "visit" 06:15  |  Laura 19/07/08
      25.   # 24, LAURA 06:42  |  indrajaya 19/07/08
      26.   Obama`s planned visit to Mideast 07:13  |  Mike 19/07/08
      27.   #24, Laura, I totally agree with you 07:49  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 19/07/08
      28.   Israel goes overboard again 08:24  |  rm 19/07/08
      29.   #25, indrajaya 09:01  |  Laura 19/07/08
      30.   Israel going overboard....too true! 09:40  |  Palestinian Brit 19/07/08
      31.   #11 Obama`s `Muslims roots` 10:48  |  Kapule David Mabuta 19/07/08
      32.   Obama must schmooze only with the Israelis 10:52  |  Clickfool 19/07/08
      33.   Obama is a marxist 11:35  |  sudmuf 19/07/08
      34.   #16 - And he has been to Israel as Senator 11:54  |  JES 19/07/08
      35.   #27 Julianna Cipora Kohn 12:06  |  Chris Linthwaite 19/07/08
      36.   Let the man do his fact finding 12:16  |  Ben Alofs 19/07/08
      37.   old city 12:21  |  brian 19/07/08
      38.   #28, rm 12:24  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 19/07/08
      39.   #24 Laura 12:30  |  Chris Linthwaite 19/07/08
      40.   #19 Indrajaya baby waby 13:18  |  H 19/07/08
      41.   The Mirror Man Arrives 13:46  |  dyinglikeflies 19/07/08
      42.   Mr. Obama: a case of missing identity 13:56  |  Stella 19/07/08
      43.   Crystal Balling 14:25  |  SoWhat 19/07/08
      44.   reply to Jeremy 14:34  |  Jean-Paul DOGUET 19/07/08
      45.   Obama`s ME visit 14:51  |  Mary 19/07/08
      46.   Lindthwatie, Talk of asassination is crude and classless. 14:53  |  The Equalizer 19/07/08
      47.   Worried about the West Bank and not Iraq and Afghanistan? 14:59  |  Palestinian Brit 19/07/08
      48.   What are you going on about Chris? 15:43  |  August West 19/07/08
      49.   Chris Linthwaite - Get those blinkers off.... 15:45  |  David 19/07/08
      50.   naive Cipora Julianna Kohn ? 15:52  |  rm 19/07/08
      51.   Israel and Aushwitz survivors 16:03  |  Paul Katz 19/07/08
      52.   # 45, THE EQUALIZER 16:57  |  indrajaya 19/07/08
      53.   #27 Cipora Julianna Kohn 17:10  |  anton 19/07/08
      54.   # 53, ANTON 17:40  |  indrajaya 19/07/08
      55.   Talk with `em Obama 18:22  |  Darrel 19/07/08
      56.   Obama`s Security In Middle East Is Not A Concern. 18:27  |  Greg Neubeck 19/07/08
      57.   Bali bombers and Indrajaya 18:41  |  David 19/07/08
      58.   #18 Obama not in fear because he doesn`t have to deal with ... 18:53  |  DesMnsDave 19/07/08
      59.   Yes he`s been outside the US and speaks Spanish 19:02  |  Jeff 19/07/08
      60.   Reply to #1 and all those with similar mindset 19:05  |  Jim 19/07/08
      61.   Linthwaite and indrajaya introduce "Team Teaching " 19:20  |  H 19/07/08
      62.   I Predict... 20:30  |  Yosemite 19/07/08
      63.   Obama`s planned visit to Mideast raises serious security concerns 21:11  |  chris 19/07/08
      64.   security? 21:11  |  Ryan 19/07/08
      65.   What`s he doing over there 22:24  |  Ray 19/07/08
      66.   The danger is minimal 22:42  |  John 19/07/08
      67.   so hes going to meet with abbas? 23:36  |  Alan 19/07/08
      68.   Jews are known by the company they keep 23:42  |  John 19/07/08
      69.   Post American 23:44  |  Alan 19/07/08
      70.   Comment #41 00:59  |  Laura 20/07/08
      71.