The attack outside the Kandahar Airfield base came shortly after a visit by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who was in Afghanistan to discuss the future role of U.S. troops beyond the 2014 withdrawal date. In a joint appearance with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Panetta repeated a U.S. vow to maintain an “enduring presence” in Afghanistan.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta: “We are going to maintain an enduring presence in Afghanistan beyond 2014. We will be drawing down our forces. Obviously the Afghan army will assume full responsibility for the security of the country, but we will be there to provide support, to provide training, to provide assistance, to provide help on counterterrorism and to provide support for the forces that are here. So we will be maintaining an enduring presence.”