Obama, Karzai ink partnership deal

President Barack Obama is greeted by Lt. Gen. Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti, left, and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker, second left, as he steps off Air Force One at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, Tuesday, May 1, 2012.

/ AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

UPDATED 5:25 p.m. ET

(CBS News) -- President Obama arrived in Afghanistan Tuesday for an unannounced visit to meet with U.S. troops stationed there and to sign a ten-year agreement with President Hamid Karzai on the role of U.S. forces beyond the end of the war in 2014.

Mr. Obama was set to meet with Karzai at the presidential palace in Kabul and then travel to Bagram Air Field to meet with troops and make a televised address around 7:30 p.m. ET.

Shortly after arriving, about midnight local time, President Obama and President Karza signed an agreement to designate Afghanistan a major non-NATO ally. The agreement says the U.S. will provide, aid, advisors and support after NATO combat troops leave in 2014.

President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai sign a strategic partnership agreement at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 2, 2012.

/ AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

Obama 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 ten years," said Mr. Obama.

"Neither Americans nor the Afghan people asked for this war yet for a decade we've stood together. Today with the signing of the strategic partnership agreement we look forward to a future of peace. Today we're agreeing to be long term partners."

After signing the partnership deal, Obama headed to Bagram air base, where he spoke to U.S. troops.

"The reason America is safe is because of you," Obama told the troops.

"The battle is not yet over," he told a cheering crowd at Bagram airbase. "There is going to be heartbreak and pain and difficulty ahead. But there is a light on the horizon because of the sacrifices you've made."

The visit comes on both the one-year anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden and the day a new report from the Pentagon giving the war in Afghanistan a mixed review was released.

Issued twice a year to Congress, the report said overall insurgent attacks in Afghanistan fell last year for the first drop in five years and praised Afghan forces for their increased security capabilities. At the same time, the Defense Department said corruption remains widespread and violence in the southern region of Kandahar has increased.

There are around 130,000 forces in Afghanistan, including around 90,000 U.S. forces and 40,000 troops from other nations. Those forces are scheduled to end combat operations after 2014, about thirteen years after the war began.

The visit is the third trip for Mr. Obama as president, with his most recent time there taking place in late 2010.

Tuesday night's remarks also fall on the nine-year anniversary of President George W. Bush's speech aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln where a sign behind his back declared "Mission Accomplished" for the ship's return to port.

In the United States, the spat between the White House and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney continues to grow. The former Massachusetts governor has accused Mr. Obama and his campaign team of politicizing the death of Osama bin Laden a year ago Tuesday.

"I think them taking credit for the right decision is entirely appropriate. I think trying to attack me on that basis is disappointing and the wrong course," Romney said Tuesday in an interview with "CBS This Morning."

A day earlier, Mr. Obama reminded Americans that Romney had not always been as certain about the need to go after bin Laden.

"I said that we'd go after bin Laden if we had a clear shot at him and I did," Mr. Obama told reporters at the White House, referring to remarks he had made in 2007 in which he said he would authorize strikes in Pakistan without the Pakistani government's permission if he had enough intelligence to act.

Without mentioning Romney by name, Mr. Obama said, "if there are others who've said one thing, and now suggest they'd do something else, then I'd go ahead and let them explain."

The Obama campaign has released an ad with former President Bill Clinton touting Mr. Obama's decision and suggesting Romney might not have made the same call. The ad cites Romney's 2007 comment that it was "not worth moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person."

Both CBS News and CBSNews.com will carry the speech live at 7:30 p.m. ET.

25 Photos

Presidential victory laps

[donretired]

Wonder how much this is going to cost the tax payers this time?

[nearl451]

I don't know why we sign much with Karzai, since next week he will be back to biting the US in the back to save his own skin.

I guess he's the only guy there willing to talk to the US currently.

This certainly has no political upside with either left or right.

[americanssg]

Please people, can't we all get along. 1st off, I don't like Obama. That being said, I think signing this agreement is the 2nd smartest thing he has done as President. The 1st was ordering the hit on Osama. As far as ending the war in Iraq, that withdrawal order was signed by G.W. Bush and a democratic congress in November 2008. Get the facts straight. The bad part about that is we did not leave a presence there and now their fledgling government in Iraq may fall apart. I wasn't sure about the Iraq war, but getting rid of Hussein was necessary in my opinion. As far as the cost of the war, let's put it into perspective. This administration will spend more on welfare in 2012 than Bush did on the entire Iraq war. As far as the troops lost there, the cost of any nations freedom is not free and may god rest their souls. Leaving a presence in Afghanistan and helping fund it is imperative for their new governments survival. We are making a difference there, I know because I was there from April 2004 to April 2005 and my daughter was there from July 2010 to July 2011. In my opinion, if you haven't been there, PLEASE shut up. Again, leaving a presence is necessary. If you don't agree with me, please go to google and search "Vietnam War Wikipedia" an read the WHOLE article to reveal the true atrocities committed by the Democratic congress against the South Vietnamese people by not giving them, Nixon and Gerald Ford the support and funding they asked for and so desperately needed. You think Bush was bad, LBJ"s lies and the Democratic congress under Nixon and Ford were worse murderers than Bush ever was. Don't beleive me, like I said, read the WHOLE article. It is fairly long, but worth the read. Oh, and Wikipedia is heavily funded by liberal George Soros who also supports Obama. And let us not forget the unconstitutional detainment of 110,000 Japanese-Americans under FDR during World War II. Or the abandoning of U.S. Troops in Somalia, by taking away their Naval support off the coast of Africa. That was Bill Clinton and a Democratic congress. Carter, Clinton and now Obama, all scaling back our Military? That's really supporting the troops. Yeah, those doggone Republicans.

[nearl451]

I tried to read your post, but find I need break. Try a pragraph once in a while, please.

[americanssg]

Can't handle the truth?

[mattrick78]

"The deal is to finally get us home. After the BS detour through Iraq we got Bin Laden and can start to come home."

It is that kind of delusion that has kept us there longer than needful.

[cattiej]

Well folks, now after the election we will have the Selective Service re-start the draft..So all you young men can forget about college, getting married and having a family because you will find yourself in Afghanastan ASAP. Obama ran for office by saying the first thing he would do as President would be to bring our troops home and end the war...He lied, thousands have died and more will die...This little visit of Obama's may have the effect that those who are terriorts in our country, those who are only here to hurt us, will use this as an excuse to hit us where we are the most vunerable..I hope I am wrong in saying that but I don't look as the people who are in the military as making friends for us but making enemy's for us..Karzi may find himself in a heap of trouble with his countrymen...I think that money, and lots of money will change hands...all this while America goes further and further into debt..Try to buy any product that is made in the U.S.A. and almost everything you pick up at the store has Made in China, Made in India, Made in Mexico...We are in serious trouble my friends, May God Help Us All because Obama and the other greedy, corrupt politicans sure aren't! I don't care what political party they belong to, if they are corrupt when they are elected, they soon will be...all for PAC money and special deals from foreign countries.

[jschmidt27]

But does Karzai also get box seats at the Yankees as part of the deal? After all nothing happens in that country unless there is some bribery involved. How much will this cost us? And since Obama declared the WAR on TERROR over, why are we there? Why do we have the TSA?

[stormerF69]

So how much is this going to cost us? When are we going to stop trying to buy friends? who do we think we are Paris Hilton?

[cattiej]

No, we are more like Al Capone

[formerlyluvnut]

ALL those arabs are just as snealy as pakistan; NONE of them are our genuine friends, let alone allies.

[realtimecoffee]

More difficulties lie ahead, light on the horizon, ten year deals, Nato level ally. No word how much Agreement will cost. Official says it will be done "on a needs-based requirement" in line with other challenges US faces.
...
Look I'm glad some combat troops will be coming home but this is sounding more and more like a Korean multi-generational deal, and as long as we have boots on the ground we'll have targets on the ground.

[lagunagal]

I ask you, are we ever going to vote in a competent President? The Baby Bush twice and now this? Just like Bush, fake it till you don't make it. Out of 300 million people this is the best we have? I would say you can come home now Mr. President. Your Buddy Van Jones May Day parade was about half as successful as his phase 1 which a majority like me is still waiting for. Unreal.....correction....Bizarre.