Most Popular Content - www.foxnews.com: Obama arrives in Afghanistan, plans to deliver address from Bagram

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Obama arrives in Afghanistan, plans to deliver address from Bagram May 1st 2012, 18:58 President Obama zipped through Afghanistan Tuesday on a previously unannounced visit, signing a key partnership document with Afghan President Hamid Karzai as he prepares to deliver an address to the nation on the anniversary of Usama bin Laden's death Alongside Karzai on Tuesday, Obama declared, "Together, we're now committed to replacing war with peace." The visit signals the wind-down of the war, and effectively allows the president to claim in his re-election campaign that he guided the end of two wars. It also comes as Obama faces criticism for a recent campaign video which touted his decision to approve the bin Laden raid and questioned whether Mitt Romney would have done the same.  Obama did not discuss bin Laden as he signed the strategic partnership agreement on the U.S.-Afghan relationship beyond 2014. The president called it a "historic moment for our two nations." "I'm here to affirm the bond between our two countries and to thank Americans and Afghans who have sacrificed so much over these last 10 years," Obama said. "Neither Americans nor the Afghan people asked for this war, yet for a decade we've stood together." Obama then flew to Bagram Air Base to meet with U.S. troops before addressing the nation at 7:30 p.m. ET.  The 10-minute speech is expected to discuss the Afghanistan war as well as the upcoming NATO summit in Chicago. Bin Laden's death is expected to come up in the speech but is not expected to be the focal point.  The partnership Obama signed Tuesday spells out the U.S. relationship with Afghanistan beyond 2014, covering security, economics and governance. The deal is limited in scope and essentially gives both sides political cover: Afghanistan is guaranteed its sovereignty and promised it won't be abandoned, while the U.S. gets to end its combat mission in the long and unpopular war but keep a foothold in the country.  The deal does not commit the United States to any specific troop presence or spending. But it does allow the U.S. to potentially keep troops in Afghanistan after the war ends for two specific purposes: continued training of Afghan forces and targeted operations against Al Qaeda. The terror group is present in neighboring Pakistan but has only a nominal presence inside Afghanistan. Senior administration officials said the U.S. is seeking an enduring partnership, and will not repeat the mistakes of the past by allowing the Taliban to rise and provide a safe haven for terrorists.  The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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