Obama rallies the troops on surprise visit to Afghanistan

US President addresses 2,000 soldiers, after telling President Karzai to do more to eliminate corruption

President Barack Obama descended on Kabul last night to tell the Afghan cabinet that it must do more to root out cronyism and corruption in government, in his first visit to the war zone as Commander-in-Chief and since he ordered a surge in the number of American troops in Afghanistan.

The newly emboldened President, who has pivoted decisively to foreign policy since winning passage last week of the most significant overhaul of US healthcare in generations, gave the Afghan leader Hamid Karzai just one hour's notice of his arrival at the presidential palace in the capital yesterday evening, on a trip that was first broached just three days earlier.

The secrecy of the visit – and its timing, under cover of darkness – reflects security concerns in Afghanistan, where American fatalities are running at twice the rate of a year ago. At least 77 American soldiers have been killed since the start of the year, and the Pentagon has warned that casualties are likely to remain high as 30,000 more troops are sent to the country this year in an attempt to turn the tide against the Taliban insurgency.

"I'm encouraged by the progress that's been made," Mr Obama said after meeting Mr Karzai and members of the cabinet, before heading to visit some of the US troops sent to Afghanistan since his inauguration in January 2009. "One of the main reasons I am here is to just say thank you for the extraordinary efforts of our troops. All of us want to see a day when Afghanistan is going to be able to provide for its own security."

He stressed that further improvements require Mr Karzai to make good on promises he made after his re-election last year, in a poll marred by voting irregularities, to make government appointments on merit, to instill the rule of law and to clamp down on corruption. "Progress will continue to be made," Mr Obama said, "but we also want to make progress on the civilian front. All of these things end up resulting in an Afghanistan that is more prosperous and more secure." For his part, Mr Karzai thanked the US for its efforts to improve infrastructure in the country, and accepted an offer to visit Washington in May for further talks.

That will come shortly after a loya jirga, or tribal council, in Afghanistan which is scheduled to discuss the reintegration into regional government of some moderate Taliban elements.

The centrepiece of Mr Obama's carefully choreographed visit was a speech to rally the troops, in front of around 2,000 soldiers and civilian staff at the Bagram air base north of Kabul.

In a nod to criticism that he has taken so long to visit the war zone, he said: "I want you to understand there is no visit that I consider more important than this visit I'm making now. You will have the support to get the job done and I am confident that you can get the job done right here."

Mr Obama last visited Afghanistan in 2008 as part of a Congressional delegation while he was a presidential candidate, and he promised to switch US military resources from the war in Iraq, which he opposed, to the conflict against the Taliban.

As President, he stalled on the military's request for a significant surge in troop numbers in Afghanistan and instead ordered a full review of US strategy in the country. He ultimately decided to boost troop numbers by more than half, but insisted they would begin to be withdrawn from the middle of next year. In his Bagram speech he said he had anguished over the decision. "If I thought for a minute that America's vital interests were not served, were not at stake here in Afghanistan, I would order all of you home right away," he said.

The war presents Mr Obama with potentially the most intractable and dangerous foreign policy challenge of his presidency, tied up as it is with the diplomatic engagement of neighbouring Pakistan, where many Taliban insurgents are based. The intensive domestic political effort to pass healthcare reform has distracted the White House from foreign policy concerns, and repeated setbacks threatened to paint Mr Obama as a weak President.