In Afghanistan, Biden Meets Troops, General, Prez

Joe Biden got word today in Afghanistan that thousands of new American troops expected in the country's south will need more helicopters and other support to beat back surging Taliban violence, the AP reports. Biden and Sen. Lindsey Graham met with the head of the NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan. Later, the visiting senators will meet with President Hamid Karzai.

Following the meeting with McKiernan, Biden shook hands and thanked some of the US troops stationed at NATO's Kabul headquarters. "Thank you, I mean it sincerely," Biden told the soldiers, according to a NATO statement. "It's a big, big deal, what you're doing here." Biden's visit to Afghanistan follows his trip to neighboring Pakistan, where he met with the president, PM and foreign minister. (More Afghanistan stories.)