Obama's Passport??? ...

Q: Did he travel to Pakistan in 1981, at age 20?
A: Yes, by his own admission.
Q: What passport did he travel under?
A: There are only three possibilities. 1) He traveled with a U.S. passport, 2) He traveled with a British passport, or 3) He traveled with an Indonesia passport.
Q: Is it possible that Obama traveled with a U.S. passport in 1981?
A: No. It is not possible. Pakistan was on the U.S. State Department's "no travel" list in 1981.

Conclusion: When Obama went to Pakistan in 1981 he was traveling either with a British passport or an Indonesian passport.

In the 2008 presidential campaign Obama said he traveled to Pakistan as a college student in the early 80s. According to his campaign staff he visited Pakistan in 1981, on the way back from visiting his mother and half-sister in Indonesia, staying at a friend's family in Karachi for about 3 weeks. [1,2]

The claim that a U.S. passport could not have been used when traveling to Pakistan in 1981, however, is false.

Per a U.S. State Department travel advisory to Pakistan dated August 17, 1981:

Before traveling to Pakistan, American citizens should be aware of the following updated visa requirements: 30 day visas are available at Pakistani airports for tourists only. As these visas are rarely extended beyond the 30 day time period, tourists planning to stay longer should secure visas before coming to Pakistan. [3]

A June 14, 1981 New York Times article moreover states that travel to Pakistan in 1981 using a U.S. passport was not only possible but relatively easy:

Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province, has an international airport served by Pakistan International Airlines and (from New Delhi) by Indian Airlines, India's domestic carrier. Connections with other international airlines can be made through Karachi...

Tourists can obtain a free, 30-day visa (necessary for Americans) at border crossings and airports. [4]

That article prompted the then-U.S. Consul General in Lahore to write that he would "welcome" American visitors to Pakistan in a letter published in the Times on August 23, 1981:

To the Editor:

One of the pleasures of the Foreign Service is being able to serve in cities like Lahore, and I would welcome an influx of Americans who might have been inspired to come by Barbara Crossette's piece, ''Lahore, a Survivor With a Bittersweet History'' (Travel Section, June 14).

But please caution them.

While tourists can obtain a free, 30-day, non-extendable visa to Pakistan at the Wagah border crossing (on the rail route from New Delhi to Lahore), tourists cannot make the reverse journey from Pakistan to India through the same crossing unless they already have an Indian visa. The Indians only offer this service, so far as I know, to tourists debarking at airports. We have had a number of Americans stranded in Lahore who did not know this, and they tend to be too discouraged to enjoy the city.

JOHN S. BRIMS, United States Consul General, Lahore, Pakistan [5]

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Is Obama a natural-born U.S. citizen, and thus eligible to be president?

Do college records indicate that Obama applied for a scholarship as an Indonesian citizen?

Did Obama say the U.S. 'will convey a deep appreciation for the Islamic faith'?

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[1] Rother, Larry. Obama Says Real-Life Experience Trumps Rivals’ Foreign Policy Credits. New York Times. April 10, 2008

[2] Tapper, Jake. Obama's College Trip to Pakistan. ABC News. April 8, 2008

[3] U.S. State Department. Travel Advisory: Travel to Pakistan. The Electronic Research Collection (an official U.S. State Department depository library at the University of Illinois at Chicago). August 17, 1981 (.pdf file)

[4] Crossette, Barbara. Lahore, A Survivor With A Bittersweet History. New York Times. June 14, 1981

[5] Brims, John S. Lahore. New York Times. August 23, 1981