
Acting protection secretary travels to Afghanistan inspite of Taliban attacks – Center East
Acting protection secretary travels to Afghanistan irrespective of Taliban assaults

KABUL, Afghanistan — Acting Protection Secretary Christopher Miller visited Afghanistan on Wednesday, the next senior protection formal in a week to vacation to the area amid ongoing Taliban violence versus civilians and Afghan safety forces.

His mission, he claimed, was to make specific that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani understands “we are nonetheless powering him” regardless of the U.S. troop drawdown there.

Miller fulfilled with Army Gen. Austin “Scott” Miller, the commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, Ghani and U.S. services users.

The acting protection secretary’s stop by to the state follows a motor vehicle bomb explosion Sunday in Kabul that killed 9 people today and wounded 20 other folks. On Saturday, militants fired 5 rockets on to Bagram Airfield in Parwan province, the biggest U.S. foundation in Afghanistan, from a compact truck parked in a nearby village.

Afghanistan continues to see violence versus federal government forces and civilians by the Taliban and other terrorist teams these types of as the Islamic Condition. A peace settlement in February in between the United States and the Taliban laid out conditions for the Taliban to meet up with, which includes reducing violence and stopping assaults on U.S. and NATO troops. The United States in return agreed to decrease the amount of troops in the country.

On Nov. 17, Christopher Miller introduced ideas to cut down U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq by Jan. 15, 5 days prior to President-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office. The new administration would have 2,500 troops in Afghanistan and 2,500 in Iraq, even though the predicament in both international locations continues to be precarious.

In the course of the summertime, U.S. troops in Afghanistan were being reduced from 8,600 to 4,500. For the very first time in the nearly 20-year war, there were now much more NATO troops in the nation than U.S. troops, according to a U.S. military services official. There are now 6,800 NATO forces and 4,000 U.S. forces.

The United States, as well its NATO allies, have attempted to get the Taliban to do far more to reduce the violence, according to a senior defense formal who spoke on ailment of anonymity.

“As to the ranges of violence towards the [Afghan National Security Forces] and civilians, no, the Taliban have not produced these commitments. And [the violence] has not been reduced,” he stated.

Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Personnel, met previous 7 days with Taliban reps in Doha, Qatar, in which they are keeping negotiations with the Afghan federal government. For two several hours, he talked over the will need for a reduction in violence in Afghanistan, The Affiliated Push documented. Milley has mentioned he talks did not lead to any breakthroughs.

Not only are attacks by the Taliban a problem for the Pentagon but so are al-Qaida and ISIS things to do in the place.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the American unique envoy for Afghan reconciliation, has warned the violence is “distressingly high” and could threaten the peace settlement, according to a new Defense Office inspector common report on Afghanistan.

Miller reported he advised Ghani that he was sorry for the attacks in the country and the Afghan folks were having to pay the selling price for the violence.

The peace negotiations involving the Afghanistan govt and Taliban representatives commenced in September soon after quite a few months of delay.

“It’s so much easier to start out a war than it is to conclusion just one,” Miller reported quickly right after he landed in Kabul. “I just feel this is the real vital time in the peace approach. And [Ghani] is going to be the a single to direct and have the braveness to move ahead on it.”

This is not Miller’s initial time in Afghanistan. He was among the initial soldiers on the ground after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“I really feel like the circle is comprehensive. This was the to start with time I was in combat, I believe I was at 14 many years in the service, and now to be right here to see the contours and outlines of the war winding down and ending. … It’s really considerable for me,” he reported.

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Twitter: @caitlinmkenney