President Obama made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Sunday, his first since taking office. Due to security concerns, Obama secretly flew into Kabul at night. He left six hours later, while it was still dark. The trip came four months after President Obama ordered 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan in a major escalation of the war. During his brief trip Obama met Afghan President Hamid Karzai and then spoke before a group of US soldiers.

President Obama: “Plots against our homeland, plots against our allies, plots against the Afghan and Pakistani people are taking place as we speak right here. And if this region slides backwards, if the Taliban retakes this country and al-Qaeda can operate with impunity, then more American lives will be at stake, the Afghan people will lose their chance at progress and prosperity, and the world will be significantly less secure.”