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| First lady Laura Bush boards her plane at
Andrews Air Force Base Tuesday. |
First lady Laura Bush set out Tuesday for a quick
visit to Afghanistan, undertaking a trip to a war-torn country where
American forces are still battling a stubborn Taliban-led insurgency
.
Mrs. Bush has wanted to visit Afghanistan for a couple of years but
delayed the journey, mostly because of security concerns. Her trip was
kept secret until just before she left from Andrews Air Force Base near
Washington.
She was to arrive in Kabul at midday Wednesday and spend about five
hours on the ground, spending most of her time being briefed on
educational initiatives for Afghan women. She also will meet with
President Hamid Karzai and have dinner with U.S. forces at Bagram Air Base
north of Kabul.
A former teacher and librarian, Mrs. Bush has expressed concern about
the limited educational opportunities for Afghan girls under the rule of
the former Taliban regime.
"She wants to be able to see the advances made for women in Afghanistan
and to underscore the United States' longterm commitment to the people of
Afghanistan," said Susan Whiston, the first lady's press secretary.
The first lady was accompanied by Education Secretary Margaret
Spellings. Her twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna, did not accompany her,
Whiston said.
About 17,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan. More
than 120 American soldiers have died since American forces invaded to
oust
the former
Taliban government for harboring al-Qaeda militants after the September
11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
Whiston said the White House had worked with security officials to
insure the first lady's safety.
"We want to make sure she is safe as well as the people she is meeting
with and all the citizens of Afghanistan," she said. "We've taken all the
precautions."
Mrs. Bush was traveling to Afghanistan as part of a delegation of the
U.S.-Afghan Women's Council, a group formed in 2002 to promote
private-public partnerships between U.S. and Afghan institutions and
insure that Afghan women gain the skills and education deprived them under
years of the Taliban.
In Kabul, Mrs. Bush was to visit the Women's Teacher Training Institute
and hold a roundtable discussion with students and teachers. She also was
to witness the award of a $17.7 million grant to American University in
Kabul and $3.5 million to the International School.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2005-03-30 10:29
