Gill: Will Bredesen Alter the Tennessee Political Landscape in 2009

Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama shared Sunday breakfast with American troops in Kabul ahead of an expected meeting with Afghan leader Hamid Karzai, a man Obama has criticized for not doing enough to rebuild his war-torn country.

Obama and the other senators traveling with him met with soldiers and sailors from their respective constituencies, said Lt. Col. Dave Johnson, a U.S. military spokesman.

"The food was great, but the company was better," Johnson said.

Obama has made Afghanistan, where Taliban and al-Qaida-linked militants are resurgent, a centerpiece of his proposed strategy for dealing with terror threats. The candidate has said the war in Afghanistan deserves more troops and more attention as opposed to the conflict in Iraq. Read More...

Iraqi leader US should leave as soon as possible    By Army Sgt. Brooks Fletcher (AP)

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says U.S. troops should leave Iraq "as soon as possible," according to a magazine report, and he called presidential candidate Barack Obama's suggestion of 16 months "the right timeframe for a withdrawal."

In an interview with Germany's Der Spiegel magazine released Saturday, al-Maliki said he was not seeking to endorse Obama. The Illinois senator and likely Democratic nominee has pledged to withdraw combat troops from Iraq within 16 months if he is elected.   Read More...