Harper makes surprise visit to Afghanistan

Tuesday, May 22, 2007 5:42 AM ET CBC.CA

The Canadian Press Prime Minister Stephen Harper has responded to criticism of his government's handling of the mission in Afghanistan by making an unannounced visit to the war-ravaged country. The surprise two-day trip comes after weeks of opposition attacks on his government's allegedly incompetent handling of the Afghan detainee controversy. Harper arrived on a military flight Tuesday in the Afghan capital, where he visited a school for underprivileged children and met with President Hamid Karzai. This is Harper's second visit to the war-torn country. Barely one month after taking office last year, Harper made Afghanistan his destination for his first foreign trip as prime minister. Unlike that last trip, this one is designed to emphasize Canada's non-military contribution to rebuilding of the country. The prime minister handed out pencil cases to students at a local school for underprivileged children. He dropped in on painting, acting, woodworking, and music classes at the Aschiana School in a tightly guarded compound in the capital's downtown core. Visited diplomats at Canadian Embassy The school received $39,500 in annual funding from the Canadian government and provides education to more than 10,000 Afghan children. He also visited diplomats at the Canadian Embassy for a briefing on progress made in that country since the ouster of the Taliban in 2001.

Harper's office spared no effort to keep the trip under wraps. A call went out Friday afternoon telling journalists to pack for a warm climate and to show up at a military hangar on Sunday if they wanted to join Harper on a trip to an unspecified foreign location. They were told not to breathe a word about the trip. Journalists were later warned that they could be arrested if they divulged details of the prime minister's travel plans.