Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan as the U.S. weighs the future of its troop presence and the risk of further territorial gains by the Taliban.
President Joe Biden is under pressure to decide whether to abide by an Afghan peace deal reached during Donald Trump’s final year that’s aimed at bringing home the roughly 2,500 U.S. troops by May 1. It’s a deadline — now just six weeks away — that Biden has said “could happen” but would be “tough” to meet.
Austin and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani met in Kabul on Sunday and discussed issues related to the peace process, a U.S. withdrawal and countering terrorism, deputy presidential spokesman Dawa Khan Menapal said. The visit wasn’t previously announced for security reasons.
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{Matzav.com}
