KABUL, Afghanistan, July 19, SPA -- Senator Barack Obama arrived Saturday in Afghanistan on the first stop of his tour of the Middle East and Europe, aimed at boosting the U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful's foreign policy credentials, his campaign confirmed. The U.S. senator from Illinois also plans to visit Iraq, CNN reported. Obama spoke briefly to a pool reporter about his trip just before leaving Washington. "I'm looking forward to seeing what the situation on the ground is, " Obama said. "I want to, obviously, talk to the commanders and get a sense, both in Afghanistan and in Baghdad of, you know, what the most, their biggest concerns are. And I want to thank our troops for the heroic work that they've been doing."--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/574929