President Obama stepped off Air Force One at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan for a meeting with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan on Tuesday. Doug Mills/The New York Times
Obama, Under Veil of Secrecy, Visits Kabul to Seal Agreement -- New York Times
KABUL, Afghanistan – President Obama landed here Tuesday, on a surprise visit, to sign a strategic partnership agreement with Afghanistan meant to mark the beginning of the end of a war that has lasted for more than a decade.
Mr. Obama, arriving after nightfall under a veil of secrecy at Bagram Air Base north of Kabul, flew by helicopter to the presidential palace, where he was to meet President Hamid Karzai before both leaders signed the pact. It is intended to be a road map for two nations lashed together by more than a decade of war and groping for a new relationship after the departure of American troops, scheduled for the end of 2014.
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