KABUL, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of announcing his much-awaited strategy, the U.S. President Barack Obama exchanged views with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai, a statement released by Afghan Presidential palace on Tuesday said.
"President Hamid Karzai and President Barrack Obama in a videoconference this morning discussed the new U.S. strategy for Afghanistan," the statement said.
During the one-hour video conversation, various aspects of the new strategy, including security, political, military and economic issues, were discussed in details, the statement further said.
It is expected that President Obama would announce the new strategy for Afghanistan where increasing militancy has proved challenging for the U.S. and allies in bringing about durable peace and eliminating terrorism in the post-Taliban country.
President Obama's strategy, which is expected to be announced later Tuesday, would stress for boosting military presence, supporting Afghan security forces and fighting corruption in Afghanistan.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will talk "explicitly" about an exit strategy when he delivers a prime-time speech on Afghanistan on Tuesday night, officials said.
Although the speech is still in draft form, senior U.S. officials were quoted by the New York Times on Monday as saying that the president wanted to use the address not only to announce the immediate order to deploy roughly 30,000 more troops, but also to convey how he intends to turn the fight over to the Kabul government." Full story
PARIS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The President of United States Barack Obama called his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy Monday about Afghanistan, a day before Obama to announce his new plan of extra troops to the Central Asian country.
The Elysee Palace said that the two leaders also discussed the preparation for the Copenhagen Climate Conference, the Iran nuclear issues and the peace process in Middle East during their 40-minute talks. Full story
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said here on Monday that his country will keep its alliance with the United States and stay in Afghanistan "for the long haul."
"Australia takes its alliance with the United States very seriously," Rudd told reporters as he joined Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for a meeting at the State Department. Full story
LONDON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced on Monday that Britain will deploy extra 500 troops to Afghanistan in a statement to the House of Commons.
Last month, Brown agreed "in principle" to increase British troops in Afghanistan to 9,500 so long as troops are fully equipped for their tasks; the Afghan government is in place, ready to provide more troops for training and all coalition partners bear their fair share of burden. Full story
KABUL, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Criminal activities have claimed the lives of five people and injured 212 others, over the past five days in Afghanistan, the country's Public Health Ministry said Monday.
Sixty seven people have been injured in criminal activities in the western city of Herat while the 49 people have been injured in the capital city Kabul. Full story
