Kabul: President Barack Obama landed in Afghanistan on Friday on an unannounced visit to meet with President Hamid Karzai and evaluate progress on the war as the US reviews its strategy.
Obama, who announced a revised Afghan war plan one year ago last week, flew through the night and arrived in darkness at Bagram Airfield north of Kabul. He plans to meet with military officials, Afghan leaders and visit with US troops who are fighting the war, now in its 10th year.
Obama plans to announce the outcome of his policy review on December 13, said Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Adviser. "This is a process that is diagnostic in nature. This is not a policy review similar to the one that was undertaken last year," Rhodes said.
Bad weather
Bad weather is forcing the president to shorten his trip and to conduct his talks with Karzai via video conference from the air field. Rhodes said the administration is not concerned the meeting will not be face to face because Obama and Karzai talked at the Nato summit in Lisbon last month.
The trip was Obama's second to Afghanistan since taking office. He was last in the country in March. The president's national security team and military leaders are set to complete an assessment of the war effort.
