Biden Makes Surprise Visit to Afghanistan

Biden Makes Surprise Visit to Afghanistan
Posted By Conor Powell On January 10, 2011 @ 12:05 PM In Afghanistan, World
KABUL – Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Afghanistan Monday to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.S. military commanders as the Obama administrations looks for signs of progress in the nearly ten year war.
Biden’s unannounced visit comes just one month after the White House finished a review of the Afghan strategy and just days after the Pentagon announced additional 1,400 marines will be sent to the war torn country.
Despite the presence of more than 150,000 international troops, the current surge strategy has shown mixed results. The Taliban insurgency remains strong in many parts of Afghanistan – although some areas of the country have seen security improve during the past year. But the Afghan government remains weak and corrupt, and insurgent safe havens remain across the border in Western Pakistan.
The White House says the purpose of the Vice President’s trip is to “assess progress towards the transition to Afghan-led security beginning this year, and to demonstrate the United State’s commitment to a long-term partnership with Afghanistan.”
Biden has long been a skeptic of the current surge strategy, and urged President Obama not to send an additional 30,000 troops in December of 2009.
The Vice President’s visit to Kabul comes just months before a July deadline where the administration hopes to begin drawing down US forces. Biden has repeatedly said the July draw down will be significant, however, privately, US commanders insist only a few U.S. troops will leave Afghanistan.
This trip is Biden’s first trip to Afghanistan as Vice President. He last visited the country in January of 2009 as Vice President-elect.