Fake story and prior tweets .. Unusual measures preceded Trump's visit to Afghanistan

Due to past leaks and security gaps in the White House, officials have taken unusual measures to keep the secret of President Donald Trump's surprise visit to Afghanistan last Thursday.

Administration officials said a fake story about his movements was arranged, including the publication of pre-prepared tweets while his plane was in midair.

On Thursday, Trump suddenly landed without prior announcement among US forces at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, his first trip to the country and his second trip to a war zone during his presidency.

Trump took part in a dinner at which traditional turkeys were served and stopped taking pictures with soldiers before telling reporters that the United States and the Taliban hoped to resume peace talks.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the 33-hour round trip was the administration's success in keeping its secrecy until shortly before the president left for Afghanistan.

White House spokeswoman Stephanie Gresham said it took weeks to prepare for the trip. The White House briefed the trip on a limited circle of officials due to repeated leaks and Trump's own tendency to use Twitter without any restrictions.

On Tuesday, Trump traveled to his Florida resort of Maralago as scheduled, accompanied by his usual convoy of journalists on all his travels.

When journalists waited for his appearance on Thursday afternoon at a conference call with troops on his official schedule, they learned that he had traveled overnight to Afghanistan, traveling 13,400 km to visit the soldiers in person.

"It's a dangerous area and he wants to support the soldiers," Gresham told a small group of reporters aboard the president's plane on Wednesday evening to explain the White House's concealment of Trump's real moves.

Hours earlier, the group of reporters had secretly gathered in a garage near the Andrews Joint Base outside Washington, a regular starting point from which Trump starts his journeys, where they were taken by minivans to the compound.

Members of the group were told earlier that Trump would travel secretly to an undisclosed location.

As soon as the group entered the base, all their smartphones and any devices that could transmit a signal were confiscated and the devices were not returned to their owners until two hours after Trump arrived at Bagram, the largest US base in Afghanistan.

During the 13-hour flight aboard the presidential plane, no one had access to the phones, including White House staff, Gresham said. Most of the cockpit lights were turned off and the windows remained closed.

Last Christmas, while traveling to visit troops in Iraq, an amateur spotting aircraft discovered the US presidential plane over England and broadcast a picture of her distinctive turquoise body, sparking a storm on social media.

Many then speculated that Trump was on his way to a war zone, citing unusual calm on his Twitter account after scores of tweets were posted the day before.

This time, Gresham said, the White House had made arrangements to ensure that the president's Twitter account, which posted tweeting congratulations in the air, including a tweet in which the military thanked.