(Location: White House - May 2, 2012) (Source: AP) (VO: Obama talks with troops) (Voice-over) IN HIS DRAMATIC VISIT TO AFGHANISTAN, PRESIDENT OBAMA MADE CRYSTAL CLEAR AMERICA'S LONGEST MILITARY CONFLICT WILL SOON BE OVER. (SOT/President Obama - 7:34 p.m. approx) "We will complete our mission and end the war in Afghanistan." (Voice-over) ON THE OTHER HAND, HE ALSO MADE CLEAR, IT'S NOT OVER YET. (SOT/Obama - 7:34 p.m. approx) "There will be difficult days ahead. The enormous sacrifices of our men and women are not over." (Voice-over) SO REALLY, U.S. TROOPS ARE STAYING IN AFGHANISTAN. (SOT/Obama - 7:39 p.m. approx) "We must give Afghanistan the opportunity to stabilize." (Voice-over) BUT, ACTUALLY, THOSE TROOPS ARE HEADING OUT. (SOT/Obama - 7:40 p.m. approx) "The number of our troops in harms way has been cut in half, and more will soon be coming home." (VO: FILE U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan) (Voice-over) A MIXED MESSAGE? YOU BET. PERHAPS THE BIGGEST REASON IS THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESSING TWO VERY DIFFERENT AUDIENCES. (SOT/Stephen Biddle, Council on Foreign relations - 00:50 from self-ID) "He's tried to tell the American public that we're not staying forever, there are limits on this thing. He's also trying to tell the Afghan public that they won't be abandoned, that the United States is not simply going to leave and let the Taliban take over the country again." (VO: Obama signing with Karzai) (Voice-over) YES, OBAMA DID SIGN AN ACCORD IN AFGHANISTAN COMMITTING AMERICA TO AID AND A SMALL RESIDUAL FORCE EVEN AFTER COMBAT ENDS IN 2014. (VO: Back to Obama) (Voice-over) YET WHEN HE SAYS THIS... (SOB/Obama- 7:36:30 p.m. approx) "But we will not build permanent bases in this country, nor will we be patrolling its cities and mountains." (VO: FILE footage Afghans villagers, FILE U.S. troops leaving) (Voice-over) ... AFGHANS HEAR NO TROOP NUMBERS OR DOLLAR AMOUNTS AND SEE AMERICANS SIMPLY LEAVING. (VO: Two shot Smith and Biddle) (Voice-over) AND WHAT DO WAR-WEARY AMERICANS HEAR? (SOT/Stephen Biddle - 5:20) "The loudest message was OUT and that message I suspect got through to Americans loud and clear." (VO: NAT SOUND break - any loud, nasty Taliban fighting) (Voice-over) BUT DESPITE OBAMA'S UPBEAT LANGUAGE, THE WAR WILL NOT SOON BE OVER. (SOT/Stephen Biddle - 5:40) "We can't end the war. We can end the U.S. role in the war, but if the Taliban keep fighting there is still plenty of war to happen." (VO: More FILE fighting) (Voice-over) INDEED, WHAT IT'S TURNING OVER TO THE AFGHANS IS LESS A SOON-TO-BE-VICTORY THAN AN ALL-BUT-CERTAIN CONTINUED STALEMATE. (Standup close) STILL FOR THE PRESIDENT, THERE SEEMS LITTLE CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE THIS DIPLOMATIC AND POLITICAL BALANCING ACT -- ASSURING AMERICAN VOTERS THIS LONG AND DIVISIVE CONFLICT'S NEARLY FINISHED, WHILE TELLING ALLIES AMERICA'S NOT RUSHING FOR THE EXIT. MS, AP, WH (****END****) VIDEO SOURCE: Pool-----------------------VIDEO RESTRICTIONS: None----------------------------------