Obama: 'Productive' meeting with Gilani

Posted: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:17 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli and MSNBC.com's Andy Merten
Obama said he had a "productive and wide-ranging discussion" with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and called the Pakistani tribal areas "central front in the war on terrorism," according to a statement released by Obama's Senate office.

"I had a productive and wide-ranging discussion with Prime Minister Gilani," Obama said in the statement. "Pakistan is an extremely important partner to the United States, and we covered a number of issues vital to the security of both our nations. We discussed how to more effectively deal with the central front in the war on terrorism -- the threat from al Qaeda and the Taliban originating from the Pakistani tribal areas -- which threatens the United States, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

VIDEO: Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama discusses the future of the conflict in Afghanistan and the security situation in Pakistan with NBC's Tom Brokaw on "Meet the Press."

"We also discussed how to bolster opportunity for the Pakistani people, while consolidating democracy, the rule of law, and human rights in Pakistan, and curbing the proliferation of nuclear materials. Each of these steps is necessary to bring peace and stability to an increasingly volatile region of the world, and I look forward to working with the democratically elected government of Pakistan to make progress on these issues in the future."

In an interview with CNN after his meeting with Bush, Gilani called on the United States not to act “unilaterally” against militants in Pakistan.

“We must have more cooperation with each other and it’s our job because we are fighting the war for ourselves,” he said.

The Bush administration has engaged in such attacks since 9/11, and Obama has also advocated for such action, if necessary.

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Comments

Obama is a clown.
We already have a clown for a President. We don't need another one.

J. Merle Stanley, Westchester, NY (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:25 PM)

How about a little "coverage" of the latest Gallup Poll that shows McCain ahead of Obama by 4% points, nationally?
Hmmm.....I guess the truth is too much to ask from First Read, because.....

THE TRUTH HURTS (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:28 PM)

Guys is this a typo "In an interview with CNN after his meeting with Bush, Gilani called on the United States not to act “unilaterally” against militants in Pakista"

Since the rest of the piece talks about the meeting with Barack, where does Dubya fit in?

Ed, FW, TX (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:31 PM)

I think it's great that Obama at least had a conversation with the prime minister first before moving unilaterally to bomb Pakistan off the map.

Where was McCain in all this? I await the MSM/McCain attack machine, which will accuse Obama of being in cahoots with terrorists because he talked to Gilani.

Cindy Lou, TX (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:31 PM)

Nonetheless, I can't see a Pakistani as VP. He might be a Muslim. And isn't Gilani a Republican?

Mark Thieme (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:32 PM)

Here comes the neocon/right wingnut bashing in 3...2...1...

MI Chick (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:33 PM)

Lets move forward to November. This race is over. Obama is ready to lead.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:34 PM)

donna (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:35 PM)

While the McCain campaign sits around thinking of new ways to smear Senator Obama, his opponent is laying the groundwork for his first term as President of the United States.

Say what you will - but at the very least - Senator Obama is a MUCH BETTER MANAGER than John McCain.

Period.

I can't wait to see competence and integrity re-enter the White House.

Nashville_fan (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:38 PM)

Obama never said the U.S. would act unilaterally with regard to strikes in Pakistan. What he did say was we would encourage Pakistan to act on "actionable intelligence" and if they won't, we will.

To meet the intent of those words, clearly any U.S. strike wouldn't come as a surprise to the Pakistani government.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:39 PM)

Do I hear..............could it be?..............Yeah I think it is............

the sounds of crickets chirping from McCain's Senate Office. Hasn't been there in a while I understand..........not for committee meetings on Afhganistan, not to vote on the GI Bill, not to have a racka ribs with ole Gee Dub.........whatever, we can find him in the cheese aisle @ Whole Foods somewhere...........

laughaday (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:39 PM)

Wake up Merle. The only clown in this circus is John McCain. At least Obama is reaching out and fostering critical relationships instead of wasting time promoting the dairy industry in Podunk, USA.

Educate yourself Merle. Expand your mind beyond FOX News.

Rob, Carlsbad CA (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:40 PM)

J. Merle - Yeah, a serious guy like McCain is what we need.

Take today, for instance. Obama meets with the Pakistani prime minister. McCain swaps out the cynical media tags used during the Obama trip with new media tags depicting the Reno 911 cast.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:42 PM)

The polls are irrelevant this year. They are projected by the media and to be used by the media.

In these times - the polling is used to attract and sway minds of the uneducated - people like "The truth hurts".

Barack Obama's grass root organization will help these people understand and vote - so let the polls keep giving out false information.

The only "counting" that matter is that one on election night.

Thank you and GOD BLESS AMERICA

The - Democrat Soldier (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:44 PM)

THE TRUTH HURTS (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:28 PM)How about a little "coverage" of the latest Gallup Poll that shows McCain ahead of Obama by 4% points, nationally?

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, can't stop laughing, ha, ha, ha, ha, can't stop laughing, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha......you wish THE TRUTH. ROFL.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:46 PM)

Ed, FW, TX:

It is entirely possible that the President of the United States has had a previous meeting and a previous interview with CNN (maybe even more than once), and even with the overall leader, uh, I think his name was Musharref?

Ya think?

Richard, Washington State (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:47 PM)

I think that Obama is right on target. Thanks so much Obama for at least finding out what is going on in Pakistan. The clown, Bush did not read a one page report from the CIA on Pakistan, so how could he know what it going on? Let's never forget 9/11 and go after who did this to our country. I own and operate a travel agency and will have to pay off debt from 9/11 for the next 15 years. At least if we try to find the culprits of 9/11 that we will focus on them trying to get away from us instead of how to attack us.

karen bourland overland park ks (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:48 PM)

In an interview with CNN after his meeting with Bush, Gilani called on the United States not to act “unilaterally” against militants in Pakistan.

****************************************

Then he needs to deal with the militants, and give us our long, and overdue justice. He cannot expect America not to chase our enemies to the ends of the earth if need be, until they are put out of their misery, and have paid for having attacked us.

donna (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:35 PM)

-----

Really? My, my. What a saber rattler you are.

Pakistan is a sovereign country with its own self interests. It doesn't owe anybody anything unless it agrees to it. Pakistan is also one of a few democratic Muslim countries in the world (not our type of democracy for sure, but still a democracy). So you want the Paki's to bow to the Great Unitied States? Fat chance. The Paki government has its own internal terrorists to deal with, and we certainly don't want to stir them up to overthrow the current Paki government. Why you ask? They have nukes. And a terrorist with a nuke is a bad thing.

But Obama is going to change all that, right? If it weren't so serious, it would be funny to watch.

Think Before You Post (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:48 PM)

Why is it the national media always follow behind fox news. Barack has always led in the polls.

Fox say John McCain is now in the led and now all the others national media outlets follow suit.

Are we going to have the same thing happen on election night?

If so - this will be a mess - fox is corrupt and they will do whatever they can to give the elusion John McCain will win or is winning.

Come on can we count on MSNBC to be their own boss?

The - Democrat Soldier (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:52 PM)

How naive this Barack Obama is. If we're not careful, he'll start WWIII.

Nelson Arnold, TX (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:53 PM)

McCain's not the one that needs to "catch up" on visits to Pakistan.

Richard, Washington State (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:54 PM)

Gilani should understand he has to be a part of this thrust to flush out terrorists sheltering on his borders. Obama has always maintained that this is where they are and he was right. At last the Bush administration is listening and prepared to do something about it. Obama is no pushover and he has the knack of reasoning that is missing from Bush and his cronies’ high handedness. I find that all world leaders Obama has met with have been more than cordial and accommodating. They too cannot wait for the changing of the guard.

spicegirl MD (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:54 PM)

Uh think before you post...pakistan is led by dictator put in power via a junta led coup...that same government is heavily invested in the terrorists in their mountains so we do have muslim terrorists with nukes...scary eh?

Rojer Ramjetski (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:55 PM)

Can someone please tell me, HAVE WE CAUGTH BIN LADEN?

McCain do you know where BIN LADEN is?
Is BIN LADEN in Afghanistan?

Do the Repukes know where he is and why haven`t we caught him yet?

Is Bin LAden in Iraq??????..........

Littleoldme (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:59 PM)

Communication is the first step to information, and information is the first step to solutions.

President Obama is sounding better by the minute.

Linda (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 5:03 PM)

How about a little "coverage" of the latest Gallup Poll that shows McCain ahead of Obama by 4% points, nationally?
Hmmm.....I guess the truth is too much to ask from First Read, because.....
THE TRUTH HURTS
*********

The truth hurts so much, some people just like to make stuff of and hide from it, it seems

DV, CA (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 5:04 PM)

Rather than talking and whining--which is all the McCain camp seems to be doing these days--Obama is actually taking action and trying to hit the ground running when he becomes president. It's not arrogance, but action. Forget McCain's "Straight-Talk Express" (which seems to resemble the "Crooked Talk Express" lately); Obama is about action. Seems the tables have turned on McCain--he's the candidate who is just using words.

Warren, KC (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 5:05 PM)

Think Before You Post (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 4:48 PM)

Think:

Nukes, spukes. If the U.S. can identify Pakistan as the hiding place of Bin Laden and can show that Pakistan also knows he is there and does nothing about it, then so be it, we do what we can to take him out. And if Pakistan wants to interfere and threaten then so be it. We'll deal with them too. If the militants in Pakistan take control then we'll take out their nuclear facilities. You see, not all of us Dems are whimps. Neither is Obama. We just pick and chose the right fights and then take it to them. Diplomacy first. But when diplomacy fails and we can with certainty locate a person or group of people responsible for the brutal deaths of thousands of Americans then it s time to go and kick some butt. Should have done this a long time ago instead of losing Amecian lives and spending billions taking out a big mouth whimp like Hussein and his sons whose claim to fame was shooting off rifles into the air and flapping their lips.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 5:07 PM)

There Bush goes again trying to whack people over the head with a big stick instead of talking to them while dangling a carrot. WTH??? Seems to me that this is what got us into the quagmire that is aka Iraq...we just invaded them! Then McCain wants to blow Iran off the map (nice) and now Bush wants to unilaterally take out Pakistan...what IS it with these people???

Like you said "Think before you post" Nukes in the hands of terrorists are a bad thing and if people like donna want us to just forget what their president said and attack them anyway we are just asking for a war that we can't fight.

I agree...

People should REALLY think before they open their mouth (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 5:08 PM)

Think Before You Post

****

Actually..they have agreed to it. They are just slow to act due to corruption and taliban sympathies on the ground and lower offices of the goverment. The fact you even called them "Paki" shows clearly you are not the open minded moral person you are trying to be.

Ironic signature...

DV, CA (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 5:09 PM)

It is reassuing to see someone running for office who knows how to conduct diplomacy but who understand that America comes first...McCain is too cocky to even think ahead...he already things he knows everything...does little consulting...can you picture McCain sitting down with econominc think tanks and articulating any position?

Can you see McCain talking to consulting world leader to find a way forward? You know what he said on Larry King?? He knows how to deal with Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afaghanstan and Pakistan...but he cannot discuss that policy because it is top secret...now that is a nice way to say...I am too dumb to articulate any position.

Stephen Missouri (Sent Tuesday, July 29, 2008 5:15 PM)

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