Officials say his tour is aimed at convincing both nations to cease their long running practice of meddling in internal Afghan politics and show that a stable Afghanistan is in the interests of all its neighbors.

CNN: U.N. sets course for Afghan elections

But as Gates's memo about Iran, Clinton's announcement that the administration will go ahead with its plan to dispatch an ambassador to Damascus, Mitchell's latest failure with the Palestinians, Jones's newest accusation against Israel, and the US's strategic incoherence in Iraq and Afghanistan all show, mere politics are irrelevant to Obama.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Barreling on, regardless

He made his request based not on politics, but a calculation of what it would take to win in Afghanistan.

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