During a September 27 NPR news summary, newscaster Nora Raum uncritically stated that during the previous day's debate, Sen. John McCain “criticized [Sen. Barack] Obama for not having visited Afghanistan” without noting that Obama, in fact, “visited Afghanistan” in July. Raum then aired a clip from the debate in which McCain stated: “I've visited Afghanistan, and I've traveled to Waziristan, and I've traveled to these places, and I know what our security requirements are.”

During the debate, McCain claimed:

You might think that with that kind of concern that Senator Obama would have gone to Afghanistan, particularly given his responsibilities as a subcommittee chairman. By the way, when I'm subcommittee chairman, we take up the issues under my subcommittee. But the important thing is -- the important thing is I visited Afghanistan and I traveled to Waziristan and I traveled to these places and I know what our security requirements are. I know what our needs are. So the point is that we will prevail in Afghanistan, but we need the new strategy and we need it to succeed.

However, on July 20, Obama, along with Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE), issued the following statement “on their trip to Afghanistan”:

“We've had a great visit so far, starting on Friday in Kuwait and now here in Afghanistan.

”First and foremost, we're here to see the troops, to thank them for their extraordinary service and to let them know that we and the folks back home are proud of them.

“We're in Afghanistan because this is the central front in the war on terrorism. Those who actually attacked us on 9/11 reside in the badlands between Afghanistan and Pakistan. They have regrouped and they are getting stronger, as we saw yesterday with attacks throughout Afghanistan that resulted in the deaths of a NATO soldier and several members of the Afghan police.

”We're talking to our military and diplomatic leadership, and to the leaders of Afghanistan, about whether we have the right strategy and the right resources to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda, and to support lasting stability. Our message to the Afghan government is this: we want a strong partnership based on “more for more” - more resources from the United States and NATO, and more action from the Afghan government to improve the lives of the Afghan people.

“We need a sense of urgency and determination. We need urgency because the threat from the Taliban and al Qaeda is growing and we must act; we need determination because it will take time to prevail. But with the right strategy and the resources to back it up, we will get the job done.”

A July 20 Washington Post article on the trip reported:

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama met here Sunday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and later reiterated his call for additional U.S. forces to deal with conditions in Afghanistan that he described as “precarious and urgent,” capping a two-day tour as casualties continued to mount from violence in the war-torn country.

From NPR's 10 a.m. ET hourly news summary on September 27:

RAUM: From NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Raum. In the first presidential debate of the season last night, Republican John McCain claimed Democrat Barack Obama doesn't have the judgment or the experience to conduct foreign policy. McCain faulted Obama's initial opposition to the troop surge in Iraq, saying the new U.S. policy of securing and stabilizing areas of Iraq, and then handing control to Iraqis, needs to be replicated in Afghanistan.

McCAIN [audio clip]: What he doesn't understand -- it's got to be a new strategy, the same strategy that he condemned in Iraq.

RAUM: And McCain criticized Obama for not having visited Afghanistan.

McCAIN [audio clip]: I've visited Afghanistan, and I've traveled to Waziristan, and I've traveled to these places, and I know what our security requirements are.

RAUM: Obama appeared unconvinced. He said the U.S. had taken its eye off the target, Al Qaeda, in starting a war of choice in Iraq, supported by McCain. And he said McCain's record on Afghanistan is seriously wanting.

OBAMA [audio clip]: And it is not true you have consistently been concerned about what happened in Afghanistan. I mean, at one point, while you were focused on Iraq, you said, well, we can “muddle through” Afghanistan. You don't muddle through the central front on terror and you don't muddle through going after [Osama] bin Laden. You don't muddle through stamping out the Taliban. I think that is something that we have to take seriously. And when I'm president, I will.

RAUM: Although the debate had been planned to focus on foreign affairs, the economy came up. Both candidates agreed Congress should act soon to solve the financial crisis on Wall Street. The Bush administration is proposing the government spend $700 billion to rescue financial institutions from bad loans. Negotiators say they're optimistic an agreement can be reached this weekend.