Washington: President Barack Obama welcomes Afghanistan's new president to the White House on Tuesday with a fraught question staring them in the face: Will the U.S. slow its departure from Afghanistan -- and for how long?
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani represents Obama's last, best hope to make good on his promise to end America's longest war before leaving office.
Ghani comes to Washington aiming to prove he's a reliable partner worthy of U.S. support, despite his fractured government and rampant problems in Afghanistan's military. He's asking Obama to keep more troops in Afghanistan for longer.
Obama and Ghani are to discuss the pace of withdrawal on Tuesday during meetings and a working lunch at the White House. They'll also take questions from reporters in the East Room.
