Vice President Biden arrives in Afghanistan

Vice President Joe Biden made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and get a view on the ground ahead of efforts to begin withdrawing U.S. forces this year in the scheduled transition to Afghan-led security.

The White House said in a statement Monday morning that the vice president, who is making his first trip to the country in that capacity, will “assess progress toward the transition to Afghan-led security beginning in 2011, and to demonstrate our commitment to a long-term partnership with Afghanistan.”


{mosads}Biden will visit an Afghan National Army Training Center, evidence that the Obama administration wants to ensure that the transition of responsibility for security from allied forces to the Afghans begins this year as scheduled.



As part of his annual war review in December, President Obama and his top aides said the U.S. is on track to begin handing over security responsibilities in July of this year. The U.S. and NATO forces have agreed to a goal of total transfer by 2014, with allied forces assuming a support role. 


Biden was greeted in Kabul by the top U.S. military and civilian leaders in the country, Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, respectively.



An administration official traveling with Biden said the vice president will meet with Petraeus and Eikenberry to get an “update from them on the situation on the ground.”



Biden is also expected to have lunch and a series of meetings with Karzai, with joint statements to the press on the schedule.



When Obama made a surprise trip to Afghanistan last year, he did not meet with Karzai because bad weather grounded the presidential helicopter fleet.

The White House said Biden will also meet with service members and civilian personnel.