Chasing Obama across Iraqi, Afghan war zones

In this photo released by the U.S. army, U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama, left, and top U.S. military commander in Iraq, David Petraeus, talk as they take a helicopter ride over Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, July 21, 2008. Iraq's government welcomed Obama on Monday with a message of apparent common ground on American troop withdrawal goals: expressing hopes that combat forces could leave by 2010. (AP Photo/Ssg. Lorie Jewell, HO)

BAGHDAD—It was long past sunrise and still no clue: Where's Barack Obama?

Was he having breakfast with soldiers? No reply from the military. A market visit perhaps? No sign of that. Then word trickled in Tuesday that he was spotted west of Baghdad having tea with Sunni tribal leaders who have joined the fight against insurgents.

Obama's tour through America's war zones became an international game of hide-and-seek.

Only two events by the Democratic presidential contender were announced in advance during his swing through Afghanistan and Iraq with two breathers in Kuwait. News dripped out after -- sometimes long after -- Obama was onto the next thing.

Actually, that's rather typical for this type of Washington foray. Visits by congressional delegations -- fact-finding missions known to diplomats as Codels -- are designed as low-profile affairs paid for with federal funds.

Even in Iraq, American lawmakers come to chat with diplomats and visit bases with little notice by the Baghdad-based media. They usually wait until they return to home turf -- in front of the voters they need to impress -- before holding court.

But, of course, this was something of a super Codel: the candidate, in his first visit to Iraq in more than two years, seeing generals and Iraqi leaders who all know his opposition to the war. In the entourage were fellow senators Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Republican Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.

Obama's rival for the White House, Sen. John McCain, has been a frequent visitor to Iraq as ranking GOP member on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Last year, he held a news conference in the protected Green Zone and toured a Baghdad market, surrounded by a knot of security.

Obama took a different, more subdued route. He avoided public comments except for a few snippets, one-on-one network television interviews for viewers at home and a written statement released in the name of Obama and the other two senators.

The fog began to settle around the trip soon after they departed late last week.

Obama touched down in Kuwait when many expected the plane to head directly to Afghanistan.

A day later -- or what's really an epoch in the day of instant everything -- the military released video of Obama playing basketball with troops at Camp Arifjan, a major gateway for U.S. soldiers moving into and out of neighboring Iraq.

By that time, Obama was already digging into his Afghanistan schedule. Trouble was -- at least for those assigned to cover his trip -- there was no easy way to find him. U.S. Embassy and military media gatekeepers were not letting anything leak out in a country where Taliban and al-Qaida attacks have spiked in recent months.

The official channels at first would not even confirm he was there.

The first glimpse came in a grainy video shot on a little digital camera that The Associated Press received from Afghan officials in eastern Afghanistan. The proud Afghans wanted the world to see Obama being hugged by Gul Agha Sherzai, the burly and bearded governor of Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan.

But again, Obama had moved on. Most bets were that he would surface in the capital Kabul. Instead, he went straight to the huge U.S. base at Bagram, north of the city.

By Sunday morning, a new question: Had he slipped away before dawn for Iraq?

Kabul seemed normal. No monster security details.

Then a set of military pictures arrived in e-mail inboxes showing Obama eating breakfast with troops at a U.S. military base inside Kabul.

Suddenly, the main airport road was sealed off. A convoy of armored vehicles with black-tinted glass headed to the tarmac.

Well, at least the Obama watchers were sure Iraq was next. But wait. The Codel's private jet took another descent into Kuwait, where Obama dropped in Saturday to see the emir (and crucial U.S. ally) Sheik Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah.

OK, so now Iraq. Yes, but those awaiting him in Baghdad had to wait some more. Obama hopscotched first over the border to the southern Iraqi city of Basra, where an Iraqi-launched offensive this spring broke the control of Shiite militias.

Baghdad, finally, provided a bit of the familiar political ambush. The Iraqi government had announced Obama's meetings with the prime minister and president. A pack of journalists was there to shout questions as Obama strode past.

"Excellent conversation," he said.

"Very constructive," he added at the other stop.

The clipped Obama didn't last. Shortly after arriving in Jordan on Tuesday, Obama gave his first news conference when the Codel part of the overseas trip was officially over.

After Jordan, it was on to Israel, where his schedule will include a visit to the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem. In Germany, he plans to give an open air address in downtown Berlin -- in view of the famous Brandenburg Gate.

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Associated Press Writer Fisnik Abrashi in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report.