Hillary Clinton arrives in Kabul on surprise visit
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Maltese Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi give a press conference on October 18, 2011 in Valletta after their meeting on the situation in Libya. The Mediterranean island state is the closest European country to Libya and has been a center for humanitarian aid efforts and the evacuation of workers from the strife-torn country.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in Kabul Wednesday in a surprise visit intended to push the Afghanistan government to continue reconciliation efforts with the Taliban, the Associated Press reports.
It states that Clinton will meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, other officials and civil leaders Thursday.
The trip comes as the Obama administration continues plans to withdraw its troops from the country.
Clinton arrived in Kabul after a short visit to Libya, where she held talks with National Transitional Council (NTC) leaders in Tripoli and pledged $11 million in additional aid to the country.
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