Trump Makes Surprise Afghanistan Trip, Voices Hope for Ceasefire Nov. 28, 2019, By Humeyra Pamuk and Idrees Ali
RARE WAR ZONE VISIT
The Air Force One presidential plane touched down at Bagram Airfield late in the evening on Thursday, with White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien, a small group of aides and Secret Service agents. Two surveillance blimps flew overhead.
Trump met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and served turkey to some U.S. troops before sitting down to eat Thanksgiving dinner with them. He chatted and had his picture taken with some of the U.S. forces deployed there.
"What a great job you do. It's an honor to be here," he said.
It was only the second trip to a war zone by a U.S. president who never served in the military and has often derided U.S. engagement in foreign conflicts as costly blunders. He traveled to Iraq in 2018 for a Christmas holiday visit with troops.
Trump was greeted upon his arrival by U.S. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Milley said on Wednesday that a successful outcome from peace talks on ending the 18-year war in Afghanistan could happen in the "near term."
Trump has wanted to end U.S. involvement in Afghanistan since his days as a presidential candidate.
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