Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Afghanistan

U.S. Defense Secretary Arrives In Afghanistan

Donald Rumsfeld (file photo)

13 April 2005 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived today on a surprise visit to Afghanistan.

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April 13, 2005

He is expected to discuss with Afghan leaders the prospect of setting up permanent US bases in the country.

Rumsfeld flew into the southern city of Kandahar, a former Taliban stronghold, to meet U.S. troops and inspect provincial-reconstruction efforts

He will later travel to Kabul for talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on security, counterterrorism operations, and strategies to flush out Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants on the Afghan-Pakistani border, officials said.

U.S.-led forces ousted the hard-line Islamic Taliban regime in late 2001 and more than 18,000 troops from a majority U.S. coalition remain in Afghanistan.

Yesterday, Rumsfeld made a surprise visit to Iraq. Later today, Rumsfeld is expected to meet with Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad.

(AFP/AP)

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