Obama signs pact with Afghanistan president
President Obama made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Tuesday on the one-year anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden to sign a pact marking future relations with a country that the United States has been at war with for over a decade.
President Obama landed at nightfall, where he was welcomed by President Hamid Karzai at the presidential palace. The U.S.-Afghan Strategic Partnership Agreement will address the role of U.S presence in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of most NATO combat forces in 2014, Reuters reported.
With the government facing corruption within itself along with the continual problem of the Taliban, the agreement will be an assurance to the Afghan people that the U.S. will not leave them without protection once majority of the soldiers leave, the White House aides said in a New York Times report. The agreement holds that Afghanistan will receive American aid for 10 years following the withdrawal of the last soldier.
Following his meeting with President Karzai, Mr. Obama is scheduled to fly back to Bagram, where he will briefly greet troops before delivering a speech to the nation on the Afghanistan War at 7:30 pm, EDT. According to Reuters, the speech will emphasize the partnership agreement and his plan for the beginning of the end of the war.
Recently, Mr. Obama’s campaign has emphasized the Bin Laden raid to draw attention to his success. Many have viewed this trip as a strategic move for Obama’s re-election. Nevertheless, it is a new opportunity for the United States in ending a very costly war.
