This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/8591866.stm

The article has changed 20 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Obama on first Afghanistan visit Obama on first Afghanistan visit
(10 minutes later)
US President Barack Obama has arrived in Afghanistan on his first visit to the country since taking office.US President Barack Obama has arrived in Afghanistan on his first visit to the country since taking office.
His trip was expected to include meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, as well as his cabinet and US officials, US media reported. His brief trip was expected to include meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, as well as his cabinet and US officials, US media reported.
He is also expected to address American forces stationed in Afghanistan.He is also expected to address American forces stationed in Afghanistan.
Mr Obama in December ordered the deployment of an extra 30,000 US troops to Afghanistan and set a date of mid-2011 to begin troop withdrawal. In December, Mr Obama ordered the deployment of an extra 30,000 US troops to Afghanistan and set a date of mid-2011 to begin troop withdrawal.
Only a few thousand of the extra forces have arrived so far, with most expected to be in place by the summer.Only a few thousand of the extra forces have arrived so far, with most expected to be in place by the summer.
Mr Obama's visit was kept secret for security reasons. Mr Karzai was only told about it one hour before the US president arrived, the AP reports. The BBC's Will Grant in Washington says that for security reasons the trip - expected to last only a few hours - was not announced in advance. Mr Karzai reportedly only learnt about it an hour beforehand.
Mr Obama travelled to Afghanistan during his campaign for the 2008 presidential election but this is his first visit to the country since becoming the US commander-in-chief. US officials say Mr Obama is in Kabul to discuss benchmarks with Mr Karzai and other senior government figures.
A White House official told Reuters news agency he wanted to get an "on the ground update" about the eight-year-old war from Gen Stanley McChrystal, commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan. The US president remains unhappy with direction of the Karzai government - specifically corruption and drug trafficking - and Washington wants to make its frustration known, our correspondent adds.
On the ground
Mr Obama travelled to Afghanistan during his campaign for the 2008 presidential election, while still a senator, but this is his first visit to the country since becoming the US commander-in-chief in January 2009.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Mr Obama wanted to get an "on the ground update" about the eight-year-old war from Gen Stanley McChrystal, commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan.
There were strained relations between the White House and the Karzai government in 2009 over the disputed Afghan elections.There were strained relations between the White House and the Karzai government in 2009 over the disputed Afghan elections.
US national security adviser Gen James Jones told reporters on Air Force One that Mr Obama hoped to help Mr Karzai understand that "in this second term that there are certain things he has to do as the president of his country to battle the things that have not been paid attention to almost since day one".
Mr Obama paid a similar unannounced visit to Iraq, where US forces are also involved in a long-running conflict, last year.