Cheney meets with Karzai ahead of NATO

by Dave Keating | March 20, 2008 at 01:12 am

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Vice President Dick Cheney has made a surprise visit to Afghanistan, as the country is facing the worst violence since the US-led invasion in 2001.

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney met with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday to discuss ways the country's fragile government can counter rising threats from al-Qaeda and Taliban militants.

Cheney flew to the Afghan capital from Oman and took a helicopter straight to the presidential palace, where he greeted Karzai with a hearty handshake. The two strolled down a red carpet together, reviewing troops before heading inside for their talks.

Reporters were not allowed to disclose Cheney's visit until he had arrived safely.

More than 8,000 people died in Afghanistan last year, making it the most violent year since 2001, when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan to oust the hard-line Taliban regime after the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States. al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden is believed to be hiding in rugged, mountainous areas along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.