Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a rare visit to southern Kandahar province and called for calm amid a dramatic spike in Taliban-linked violence. The president told a gathering of about 150 elders from across the insurgency-hit province, the birthplace of the Taliban movement, that he was working with Afghanistan’s international partners to halt the violence. “I swear to God, I’ll bring security to you,” he said at a meeting of elders after touching down in Kandahar for the surprise trip to his home province. Full Story