U.S. Defense Secretary on unannounced visit to Afghanistan

KABUL, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Kabul on Tuesday to talk with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan about how to use 30,000 additional American troops in the coming months.

The surprising visit came just one week after President Barack Obama decided to send 30,000 extra troops to the war-torn country and start withdrawing U.S. troops in July 2011.

Gates has signed orders for the deployment of 17,000 of the additional forces, he told reporters on his plane, adding that "Most of the first troops that are going in will be going into the south."

"As the security situation improves and we're able, over time, to reduce our forces," Gates said.

Gates and Karzai are expected to attend a joint press conference later Tuesday.