President Obama congratulated Afghan President Hamid Karzai on his re-election after his opponent Abdullah Abdullah withdrew from the race. The two candidates were to face each other November 7 in a run-off after no presidential candidate received a majority of the vote in an August contest.

“Although the process was messy, I’m pleased to say that the final outcome was determined in accordance with Afghan law, which I think is very important, not only for the international community that has so much invested in Afghan success, but most importantly, is important for the Afghan people that the results were in accordance with and followed the rules laid down by the Afghan constitution,” Obama said.

Obama said the American people are committed to helping Afghanistan achieve prosperity and security, but that the Afghan government must play its part to fight corruption and strengthen governance. A text of the president’s remarks is available on America.gov.

In the early morning hours today as most Americans slept, President Obama made an unannounced visit to Dover Air Force base in Delaware to pay respects to the families of 18 Americans who died in Afghanistan earlier this week. Dover base is typically the first point of entry for bodies of those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

According to the New York Times, Obama had a private discussion with family members and saluted as the bodies were transferred. Very little information about the event was made public.

By the way, an image like the one used in this blog entry is still pretty rare. Earlier this year the Pentagon ended an 18-year ban on media covering the return of Americans killed in war. Today these returns can be photographed with the permission of the victim’s family.

President Obama said he welcomes the news that Afghanistan will hold a run-off presidential election between current President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah after neither managed to win at least 50.1 percent of the August 20 vote.

“I congratulate the Afghan people on the patience and resilience they have shown throughout this long election process,” Obama said. The second election will be held November 7.

For more information, see “Obama Lauds Afghan President’s Participation in Runoff Vote.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki came to the White House July 22 to meet at “an important moment,” president Obama said during their joint press conference.

“We’re in the midst of a full transition to Iraqi responsibility and to a comprehensive partnership between the United States and Iraq based on mutual interests and mutual respect. The success of this transition is critically important to the security and prosperity of our people, and it is a top priority of my administration,” Obama said.

The United States is committed to withdrawing combat brigades from Iraq by August 2010 and to remove all troops by 2011, Obama said. But “America stands ready to help the Iraqi government build their capacity to provide basic services and to promote the rule of law,” he said.

Across the world, Americans celebrated the United States’ 233rd birthday. At the White House, the Obamas invited military families to watch the fireworks.

“Just imagine the extraordinary audacity it took, 233 years ago for a group of patriots to … put ideas to paper that were as simple as they were revolutionary: that we are equal; that we are free; that we can pursue our full measure of happiness and make of our lives what we will,” Obama said.

The Obamas had another birthday to celebrate July 4 – daughter Malia turned 11 that day.

Vice President Joe Biden spent the July 4 holiday with U.S. troops serving in Iraq, among those troops, 237 new U.S. citizens. Biden oversaw their swearing in ceremony. Biden also had the opportunity to see his son Beau, a member of the Delaware National Guard, currently serving in Iraq.

In his speech at Cairo University, President Obama said that in today’s interconnected world, “any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail.” Instead, nations need to work in partnership so that our “progress must be shared.”
The president outlined seven issues “we must finally confront together.” Here is what they are and a brief comment the president made about each one:

1. Violent extremism: “America is not – and never will be – at war with Islam. … We reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject: the killing of innocent men, women and children.”

2. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict: “If we see this conflict only from one side or the other, then we will be blind to the truth: The only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security.”

3. Securing nuclear weapons: “This is not simply about America’s interests. It’s about preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that could lead this region and the world down a hugely dangerous path.”

4. Democracy: “No system of government can or should be imposed by one nation by any other. That does not lessen my commitment, however, to governments that reflect the will of the people.”

5. Religious freedom: “Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together. We must always examine the ways in which we protect it.”

6. Women’s rights: “Issues of women’s equality are by no means simply an issue for Islam … the struggle for women’s equality continues in many aspects of American life, and in countries around the world.”

7. Economic development and opportunity: “There need not be contradictions between development and tradition.”

A summary and full transcript of the president’s speech is available on America.gov.