Amb. Crocker: Taliban attacks not connected to Obama visit

The Taliban launched
suicide attacks Wednesday morning in Kabul that left seven people dead,
taking place hours after President Obama visited Kabul to sign a strategic
partnership agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

{mosads}The Taliban, which said its “spring offensive” will begin on
Thursday, claimed the attack was tied to the president’s visit, but the
secretive nature of Obama’s visit makes that scenario unlikely.

Crocker brushed aside questions about whether Kabul, which
also saw a coordinated Taliban attack last month, was a dangerous place for Obama
to visit.

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Obama landed at Bagram Air Base and then traveled by
helicopter to Kabul to sign the agreement with Karzai, before returning to
Bagram to deliver his televised address. The president arrived in the night and
left before dawn.

“Clearly, it was secure enough for the president enough to
make the trip,” Crocker told CNN. “We looked at all aspects of that; everybody
was comfortable. It went precisely according to schedule.”