US defense chief lands in Afghanistan

Ashton Carter arrived in Kabul on Saturday morning for talks with US troops and commanders, and Afghan politicians. His trip coincides with efforts to wind down the ISAF military mission in Afghanistan, amid fears this could open the door for the still-active Taliban insurgency.

"We're looking for success in Afghanistan that is lasting, and the lasting accomplishment of our mission here," Carter told reporters traveling with him shortly before arrival. "How to do that, what the best way to do that is, is precisely what I'm here to assess."

Carter said he had chosen Afghanistan for his first overseas trip since his inauguration last week, "because this is where we still have 10,000 American troops and they come first in my mind, always."

Currently, the US plans to cut its troop numbers in Afghanistan to 5,500 by the end of the year, eventually drawing down to a US embassy presence in Kabul by the end of 2016. Formally, at least, the US combat role came to an end last December; foreign troops officially now serve as training and support to domestic forces.

Afghan forces suffering heavy losses

This drawdown plan has also drawn domestic criticism from opposition Republicans, who argue that the pullout could allow the Taliban to reassert control over part or even all of the country. Afghan police and security forces suffered losses totaling nearly 5,000 in 2014, a level US military officials have called unsustainable. Last year was the bloodiest in Afghanistan since the war against the former Taliban government began in 2001; UN estimates point to 3,699 civilian casualties.

Obama is currently weighing a request from his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani to slow the pace of the withdrawal.

Carter, who was to meet Ghani later on Saturday, said that he was looking forward to an update on the progress of peace talks with the Afghan Taliban. Asked about this process' prospects, Carter said: "I'll have a better chance to assess that after I've heard from him [Ghani], because he's really in the driver's seat of the process. Obviously we're supportive of it, but it's Afghan-led."

As is customary for visits to sensitive regions like Afghanistan, Carter's trip was not announced ahead of time for security reasons.

Carter, a technocrat and quantum physicist who has turned his hand to politics, was sworn in as Obama's fourth defense secretary last week. He has already served as the Pentagon's second-in-command and is an experienced defense strategist, but is still considered somewhat untested on the international political stage.

msh/rc (AFP, AP, Reuters)