In surprise Afghan visit:

Obama presses Karzai to end corruption

[Surprise visit ]

* Obama vow to reverse Taliban’s momentum

* Visit took place entirely under cover of darkness amid deep security concerns

AFGHANISTAN: US President Barack Obama paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan Sunday, his first since taking office, vowing to reverse the Taliban’s momentum and pressing President Hamid Karzai to end corruption.

Obama secretly flew through the night on Air Force One to Kabul, and his visit took place entirely under the cover of darkness amid deep security concerns as a potentially crucial phase nears in the eight-year war.

“We are here to help Afghans forge a hard-won peace while realizing the extraordinary potential of the Afghan people,” the US commander-in-chief said honoring another purpose of his trip, delivering a speech rallying US troops.

“Our broad mission is clear,” Obama said of the dragging war against the Taliban launched in late 2001, which is taking an increasingly bloody toll on US and foreign troops.

“We’re going to deny Al-Qaeda safe haven. We’re going to reverse the Taliban’s momentum,” said Obama who left Afghanistan after less than six hours on the ground, and was due back in Washington on Monday morning.

Obama’s trip, and talks with war commander General Stanley McChrystal and US ambassador Karl Eikenberry, gave him the chance to assess the progress of his 30,000 strong troops surge strategy launched last year.

He pressed Karzai, re-elected in controversial elections last year, to step up the fight against corruption and the drugs trade.

“The American people are encouraged by the progress that has been made,” Obama told Karzai after the one-on-one meeting, which included an invitation for the Afghan leader to visit Washington on May 12.

But Obama also urged Karzai, with whom he has had a testy relationship since taking office in January 2009, to “continue to make progress” on the civilian front, including on governance, the fight against graft and the rule of law.

“We had a good discussion of the issues between our two countries, about the region, and of continued struggle against extremism and terrorism,” Karzai said at a late-night ceremony at the presidential palace.

A senior Obama aide added that the talks lasted about 25 minutes and were “very productive” and “businesslike”.

Kabul, Monday, AFP