WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is sending several top officials to Afghanistan to promote agriculture reforms that his administration believes will be critical to restoring stability there.
U.S. officials said Thursday that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will depart this weekend and will be followed by Richard Holbrooke, who is special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. The officials said Holbrooke will attend a meeting with his counterparts from other countries in Abu Dhabi before going to Afghanistan and Pakistan next week.
The administration sees agriculture - particularly steering farmers away from growing opium poppy - as the primary non-security element in lifting Afghanistan out of poverty and fighting extremism.
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