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)
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)
