Carter in Kabul for talks with president, CEO

KABUL (Pajhwok): US Defence Secretary Ash Carter on Tuesday flew into Kabul to meet Afghan leaders and America’s top military commanders on the situation in the war-torn country.

During the unannounced stop in Kabul, Carter will hold talks with President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Officer Abdullah and General John W. Nicholson, commander of the Resolute Support mission.

Earlier in the month, President Barack Obama announced keeping 8,400 troops in Afghanistan in 2017. Under his previous plan, thetroop numbers were to be cut to 5,500.

At the Warsaw summit of the alliance, NATO states pledged maintaining troop numbers in Afghanistan, reaffirming their commitment to give Afghan forces $5 billion annually until 2020.

nh/mud