Acting Pentagon Chief Patrick Shanahan Arrived in Afghanistan on an unannounced visit Monday as the United States seeks to back the Afghan government for peace negotiation with the Taliban.
Shanahan will meet Afghan President Ashraf Ghani who was not part of the Moscow summit on ending the 17-year war in Afghanistan.
“The Afghans have to decide what Afghanistan looks like in the future. It’s not about the U.S., it is about Afghanistan,” Shanahan told reporters on the flight.
It comes amid peace talks, where the Taliban refused to sit with Afghan government, dubbing them US puppets.
“It’s important that the Afghan government is involved in discussions regarding Afghanistan,” Shanahan added.
Patrick Shanahan, Acting Pentagon Chief, was appointed to the post after the resignation of Jim Mettis in December 2018.
