U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made a surprise visit to the Afghan capital of Kabul today, where he met with Afghan President Barack Obama during an unannounced trip to Washington, D.C., to review the peace process and plans for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
Lloyd Austin tweeted that this was his first trip to Afghanistan since his appointment as defense secretary and that he was there to “listen and learn.
Austin’s meeting with Ashraf Ghani comes at a critical Time in the Afghan peace process, as the May 1 deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan is approaching, set by the Taliban, a local militia group, and the administration of former President Donald Trump.
U.S. President Joe Biden told ABC News on May 17 that the May 1 withdrawal deadline would be difficult to meet.
The Taliban, on the other hand, said on the 19th that they would like to see the peace process accelerate, but also warned Washington that U.S. troops should not remain in Afghanistan beyond the agreed withdrawal date.
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