U.S. president leaves Afghanistan for home after brief visit

KABUL, March 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama left Afghanistan for home on Monday morning after a six-hour visit to the war-torn Asian country.

The Air Force One took off after midnight Monday which brought to an end of Obama's first trip to Afghanistan after he took the presidency in January 2009.

Hamid Elmi, spokesman of Afghanistan's Presidential Palace, told Xinhua that the U.S. president during his trip had meeting with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Afghanistan's military officials and cabinet members.

Obama, during his meeting with Karzai, invited the latter to pay a visit to the U.S. in May, said the spokesman.

Obama and Karzai discussed on Afghanistan's efforts of battling corruption and poppy production, which is believed to be the major financial resources of the Taliban.

The two leaders also exchanged views on the reintegration and reconciliation process which was launched by the Afghan government.

Obama later addressed the U.S. military service-members at the Bagram air base, several kilometers off the capital city of Kabul.

The U.S. president expressed gratitude to the U.S. troops noting that their mission in Afghanistan is "necessary and essential" for the security of the U.S. people.

He ensured the U.S. service-members of the domestic support and pledged to provide them with needed equipment.