Mattis and Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were meeting with Army Gen. Scott Miller, the new commander of NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all....
troops in Afghanistan, NBC News reported.
They were to discuss progress on peace talks with the Taliban
...Arabic for
students...
, despite a deteriorating security situation in the country.
Mattis is scheduled to conduct a town hall meeting with troops, attend a weekly memorial service and meet with senior Afghan leaders, officials said as quoted by NBC News.
Miller assumed command of NATO’s Resolute Support forces in Afghanistan on Sunday.
Speaking with news hounds this week, Mattis said he was hopeful about peace talks with the Taliban.
"Right now, we have more indications that reconciliation is no longer just a shimmer out there, no longer just a mirage," Mattis said.
"It now has some framework. There's some open lines of communication," he added.
This comes after last month a top US State Department official met with Taliban officials in Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...to lay the groundwork for broader peace talks.
The US government has pointed toward the Taliban's accepting a temporary truce in June as a sign of why the talks should be viewed with hope.
"The most important work that has to be done is beginning the political process and reconciliation," Dunford told news hounds traveling with him, as quoted in NBC News report.
"What we are trying to do in the military dimension is convince the Taliban that they cannot win on the battlefield and that they must engage in a grinding of the peace processor," Dunford said.
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...former chancellor of Kabul University, now president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. ..and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah
... the former foreign minister of the Northern Alliance government, advisor to Masood, and candidate for president against Karzai. Dr. Abdullah was born in Kabul and is half Tadjik and half Pashtun...at the Presidential Palace, the president’s office said in a statement.
The Afghan and US officials discussed grinding of the peace processor, impact of US South Asia strategy, reforms in Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections, counter-terrorism and dialogue with Pakistain.
In this visit, Mattis commended the National Unity Government’s efforts in different sectors particularly counter-terrorism, reforms and fighting against corruption, the statement said. He also commended Afghan forces’ "bravery" in defending the country.
Mattis said the US government and people will stay with Afghan people and government until there is lasting peace and stability in the country. He said US will continue its cooperation in different sectors including security, economy and strengthening of bilateral relations with Afghanistan.
President Ghani meanwhile appreciated US’s cooperation in different sectors to Afghanistan and said the Afghan government and the people want lasting peace and that they thank the US for its cooperation in this respect.