Harper left Ottawa on Sunday and surfaced on the other side of the globe Tuesday after completing an unannounced journey to Afghanistan under a veil of secrecy.

After two flights on an airliner and one bumpy ride on a military cargo plane, Harper was standing beside Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the lush gardens of the gated presidential compound in Kabul.

Harper offered one small surprise before leaving for Kandahar, where he will visit Canadian soldiers.

He gave Karzai a pint-sized Ottawa Senators sweatshirt for his newborn son.

"These are not members of our upper house. These are admired hockey players," Harper said of the Senators, who are bound for the Stanley Cup finals. Source...