This archive report was first published on 20 October 2019.
Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Sunday, his first trip to the country since being confirmed as Pentagon chief.
The visit comes amid uncertainty about the administration's strategy following the collapse of peace talks with the Taliban, which had been finalized in September.
According to Reuters, Mr. Esper said, 'The aim is to still get a peace agreement at some point, a political agreement. That is the best way forward.'
Ending the war in Afghanistan has been a focus for President Trump since he took office, and the administration had finalized a deal with the Taliban in September to make that happen.
However, President Trump called off the deal, citing an uptick in violence across Afghanistan and the death of an American soldier, along with 11 other people, in a Taliban-directed suicide bombing in Kabul.
The resumption of any peace negotiations would be further complicated by the Afghan presidential elections in September, which were mired by violence, low turnout, and an unclear victor.
With Washington's strategy unclear, the United States-led mission in Afghanistan has continued its campaign to target and kill the Taliban at levels not seen since the height of the war.
However, the increase in operations has not been without a cost, with more than 1,000 civilians killed in the past four months, according to the United Nations.
