Obama lands in Afghanistan on surprise visit

US President Barack Obama landed in Afghanistan late Sunday on a surprise visit to salute the sacrifices of US troops in America's longest war. Obama slipped out of the White House after dark on Saturday and flew in secret across the globe, landing at Bagram air base outside Kabul in late evening. Obama planned to meet top US military commanders and civilian leaders in Afghanistan during a short visit, but there were no plans to see Afghan President Hamid Karzai or either of the candidates in Afghanistan's runoff presidential election. The surprise trip, pulled off under extraordinary security precautions, came ahead of Memorial Day, when the United States marks the sacrifices of its war dead and honors the veterans.