President Obama surprised the troops in Afghanistan today during an unannounced visit to Bagram. According to an ABC News report, he is being greeted there by stormy weather that symbolizes the challenges the president faces as the war, now in its 10th year, "risks being undermined by a corrupt government, a strong insurgency, leaks of classified cables, waning public support and shifting political winds."
The president was reportedly scheduled to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul during this visit, and to meet with civilian personnel at the U.S. Embassy in the capital city, but strong winds and low cloud cover made helicopter travel hazardous, so in the last few hours of the president's trip to Bagram on Air Force One, the Kabul part of the visit was canceled.
Moments ago, New York Times blogger Mark Knoller tweeted that Obama told the troops assembled at his surprise speech:
New York Times blogger Jeff Zeleny added on his Twitter page that Obama also said during the speech:
