Obama Afghanistan
President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai emerge from their meeting before signing a strategic partnership agreement at the presidenti...
President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai emerge from their meeting before signing a strategic partnership agreement at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Obama Afghanistan
President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai shake hands after making statements before signing a strategic partnership agreement at the ...
President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai shake hands after making statements before signing a strategic partnership agreement at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Afghanistan
A French soldier part of the NATO forces walks on debris after the compound was attacked by militants in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 2, 2012. ...
A French soldier part of the NATO forces walks on debris after the compound was attacked by militants in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 2, 2012. A suicide car bomber and Taliban militants disguised in burqas attacked a compound housing hundreds of foreigners in the Afghan capital on Wednesday, officials and witnesses said. The Taliban said the attack was a response to President Barack Obama's surprise visit just hours earlier. (AP Photo/Ahmad Jamshid)
The Taliban have warned they will officially start their annual "spring offensive" in Afghanistan on Thursday.
Wednesday's announcement comes hours after a brazen attack on a foreigners' housing compound in Kabul that killed seven people shortly after a surprise visit by President Barack Obama.
The offensive comes every year as the country's snows melt, making both travel and fighting easier. It normally leads to a surge of militant attacks throughout the country as the Taliban attempt to retake lost territory and intimidate the Afghan government.
