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    May 01, 2012

Obama Arrives in Afghanistan on bin Laden Death Anniversary

   VOA News
   President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai shake hands
   after making statements before signing a strategic partnership
   agreement at the presidential palace in Kabul, May 1, 2012. Photo: AP
   President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai shake hands
   after making statements before signing a strategic partnership
   agreement at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 1,
   2012. (AP)

   U.S. President Barack Obama has arrived in Afghanistan on a secret trip
   to mark the first anniversary of the killing of al-Qaida leader Osama
   bin Laden.
   Mr. Obama is expected to sign a strategic partnership agreement setting
   conditions for a U.S. presence there after a 2014 deadline for the
   withdrawal of most NATO combat forces.
   The president arrived at Bagram Air Base late Tuesday and immediately
   flew by helicopter to the Afghan capital, Kabul. He is meeting with
   Afghan President Hamid Karzai at his palace and will later give remarks
   to U.S. troops at Bagram.
   From Bagram, he also plans to deliver a live, televised address to the
   American people about the Afghanistan war at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT).
   The president's speech will focus on the strategic partnership
   agreement and is likely to emphasize his plans to wind down the costly
   and unpopular Afghanistan war where nearly 3,000 U.S. and NATO soldiers
   have died since the country was invaded in 2001.
   The address will come exactly one year after U.S. special forces, on
   his order, began the raid that led to the killing of bin Laden at his
   Pakistani safehouse.
   Since then, ties between the United States and Afghanistan have frayed
   due to the burning of Muslim holy books at a U.S. base and the massacre
   of 17 civilians, including children, allegedly by an American soldier.
   Mr. Obama is scheduled to be on the ground in Afghanistan for about
   seven hours.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.