Afghan President to Congress: Afghanistan owes 'a profound debt' to U.S.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday told Congress that his nation owed a "profound debt" to U.S. troops and American civilians who have helped secure and rebuild the war-torn nation.

"The people of Afghanistan recognize the bravery of your soldiers and the tremendous sacrifices that Americans have made to keep Afghanistan free," he said in an address to a joint session of Congress.

"We owe a profound debt to the soldiers who have lost limbs to buried bombs, to the brave veterans, and to the families who tragically lost their loved ones to the enemy's cowardly acts of terror," he added.

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On Tuesday, the White House announced it would delay a planned troops drawdown in Afghanistan and instead keep 9,800 soldiers there through the end of the year.