2:25pm UK, Sunday July 20, 2008

US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has had breakfast with American troops during the second day of his visit to Afghanistan.

Senator Obama meets troops at Camp Eggers in Kabul

Senator Obama, who has also met military officials there, later had talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The US politician’s trip will also include visits to Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and Britain.

It is aimed at bolstering his foreign policy credentials and hitting back at critics who say he does not have the experience to be armed forces’ commander-in-chief.

He is part of a congressional delegation, that also includes fellow senators Jack Reed and Chuck Hagel, who are visiting Afghanistan.

“They had breakfast at Camp Eggers with the soldiers,” said US Lieutenant Colonel Dave Johnson.

“They sat with the soldiers, shared stories with the soldiers about what is going on in Afghanistan … shared experiences.”

The camp is focused on equipping, training and advising the expanding Afghan army and police forces – part of a US-led effort to help the country defeat a growing threat from extremists.

There has been a 40% rise in attacks by the Taliban this year, mainly against US and British forces.

NATO says the increase is partly down to ceasefires between rebels and the military in Pakistan’s lawless tribal area, which provides the Taliban with sanctuaries from which to launch attacks into Afghanistan.

There are currently 36,000 US soldiers in Afghanistan. Mr Obama wants to send two more brigades, 7,000 troops, and shift the emphasis from what he calls the Bush administration’s “single-minded” focus on Iraq.

He has called for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq in 16 months.

The US has about four times more troops in Iraq than in Afghanistan. But more of its troops were killed in Afghanistan in both May and June than in Iraq.