Afghan President Mohammed Ashraf Ghani's four-day goodwill tour to the United States culminated in a speech before Congress on Wednesday where he offered thanks for American sacrifices so far but also pleas to keep the fragile nation in the forefront of national security discussions.
"Our partnership with America and its allies has brought our country hope where we had none," he told lawmakers.
"I would like to return that gift of reborn hope by offering the American people a partnership with a nation that is committed to the cause of freedom and that will join the fight against the growing threat of terrorism."
A day earlier, President Obama announced plans to slow the drawdown of U.S. troops out of the country this year, at the request of Ghani's government.
About 5,000 troops in advisory and logistics roles who had been scheduled to come home earlier will now spend the rest of 2015 deployed there. But Obama also insisted that the change will not affect plans to remove all U.S. troops from the country by the end of 2016.
The White House also agreed to keep funding an Afghan security force of more than 350,000 personnel through 2016, in an effort to continue building the fighting forces' capability and stability.
Ghani told reporters shortly after that announcement that the effort is still worth the cost to U.S. troops and taxpayers.
"Afghanistan is the front line," he said. "Because of American engagement in Afghanistan, there have not been attacks on mainland United States. We are living in an interconnected world, and our security is joined together.
"The 2,215 Americans that have died must not die in vain. They must leave behind a legacy of a stable Afghanistan."
Ghani continued that theme in his address to Congress, painting a picture of an Afghanistan that is years — not decades — away from being a thriving economy and security partner in the fight against terrorism.
He noted that before the Sept. 11 attacks, girls were not allowed to attend school in Afghanistan. Today, more than 3 million are in primary schools across the country.
Ghani also touted economic and political strides, but warned of dangers still plaguing his homeland.
"From the west, (Islamic State leaders) are already sending advance guards to southern and western Afghanistan to test for vulnerabilities," he said. "Sooner or later, extremism will come knocking at our door.
"We are willing to speak truth to terror. The world's democratic communities must unite to fight against this dangerous form of violence."
The Afghan president also invited U.S. troops who deployed to his country to return again, this time as tourists as the country emerges from years of fighting.
"Veterans will always be welcome in Afghanistan," he said. "Our deepest is that the time will come when Americans visit our country … not as soldiers, but as parents showing their children the beautiful country where they served in the war that defeated terror."
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
