Two topics dominating the visitBy Abdul Bari Nijrabi and R. Maxwell BoneOn June 25, US Secretary of State Mike Pomepo made an unannounced visit to Kabul. Additionally, Pompeo had recently placed blamed Iran for an attack in late May on a US military convoy in Kabul. Pompeo said that it is “not in Iran’s best interest to undermine this peace process”, and referenced its potential to destabilize Afghanistan. For the entirety of the visit Pompeo was not only flanked by US Ambassador to Afghanistan John Bass, but also by Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad. This concern was only built upon when Pompeo stated the USA was close to reaching an agreement with the Taliban on withdrawing foreign troops, previously a sticking point.

Source: Pakistan Today July 03, 2019 16:42 UTC