KABUL, Afghanistan — Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper traveled to Afghanistan on Sunday, in his first visit to the country since being confirmed as Pentagon chief amid uncertainty about the administration’s strategy following the collapse of peace talks with the Taliban. His unannounced trip came weeks after the lead American negotiator during the talks, Zalmay Khalilzad, met informally with Taliban leaders in Islamabad, Pakistan, raising the possibility that negotiations might eventually resume. “The aim is to still get a peace agreement at some point, a political agreement. That is the best way forward,” Mr. Esper said, according to a report from Reuters. Ending the war in Afghanistan has been a focus for President Trump since he took office, and Mr. Khalilzad and Taliban negotiators finalized a deal “in principle” in September that laid out plans to make that happen.

Source: New York Times October 20, 2019 14:26 UTC