Obama wants more troops in Afghanistan

By Jon Hemming

KABUL (Reuters) - Presidential hopeful Barack Obama called the situation in Afghanistan "precarious and urgent" on Sunday and said Washington should start planning to transfer more troops there from Iraq.

The Illinois Democrat spoke from Afghanistan on the CBS program "Face the Nation" after meeting privately with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on an overseas trip meant to bolster his foreign policy credentials.

"We have to understand that the situation is precarious and urgent here in Afghanistan and I believe this has to be the central focus, the central front, in our battle against terrorism," Obama said.

Obama was spending Sunday night in Kuwait where he met the Gulf Arab state's emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah. He was due to fly on to Iraq for meetings on Monday.

He is also due to visit Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and Britain on a foreign tour he hopes will help answer Republican criticism that he lacks the experience to be commander in chief.

BERLIN SPEECH

The Obama campaign in Chicago confirmed he would deliver a speech on Thursday at Berlin's Victory Column, and not at the iconic Brandenburg Gate, their original idea for a venue.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel made clear she would frown upon using the Brandenburg Gate for "electioneering".