Pentagon chief in surprise Afghan visit weeks before U.S. withdrawal

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin completed an unannounced visit to Afghanistan Sunday, the Pentagon said, just weeks before Washington is due to withdraw the last of its troops under a deal struck with the Taliban last year.

Austin held talks with President Ashraf Ghani less than a week after U.S. President Joe Biden said it would be "tough" to meet a May 1 deadline for a complete troop withdrawal.

Pentagon officials ordered a news blackout on the visit until after Austin left.

(Cover: U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks to Defense Department personnel during a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., February 10, 2021. /Reuters)

Source(s): AFP