Vice President-elect Joe Biden made a surprise visit to the Taliban's traditional stronghold in southern Afghanistan on Sunday and said the new U.S. administration will fully support troops battling the resurgent militants. Thousands of new American troops will be joining the battle against the Taliban this year, and Biden's visit is a sign that Obama plans to make the region an immediate priority."I am very interested in what becomes of this region because it affects us all," Biden said during his visit to Kandahar province, according to a statement issued by the NATO-led force. Biden was on the second day of his trip to Afghanistan.
During his time in Kandahar, Biden was briefed on activities of coalition forces in the south by Dutch Maj. Gen. Mart C. de Kruif, NATO's regional commander. They discussed "the future of southern Afghanistan, to include the addition of American troops later this year," the statement said. In Kandahar, Biden "reaffirmed his and President-elect Barack Obama's pledge to fully support troops and their efforts in the region," the statement said.
America's top general in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan, told Biden on Saturday that thousands of new American troops expected in the country's south will need more support items "like helicopters, engineers, military police, transportation assets," said Col. Greg Julian, a U.S. military spokesman.