US President Barack Obama has made a surprise visit to Afghanistan, his first since taking office last year. What effect will his visit have?
Mr Obama met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, inviting him to the US in May for talks. He then addressed US soldiers at Bagram air base, saying they were there tohelp Afghans “forge a hard-won peace”.
In December, Mr Obama ordered the deployment of an extra 30,000 US troops to Afghanistan. Only a few thousand of the extra forces have arrived so far, with most expected to be in place by the summer.
What impact will Mr Obama’s visit have on progress in Afghanistan? Will his presence in the country affect the troops? Why has he decided to make this visit now?
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