UNANNOUNCED

Mattis Makes Surprise Visit to Afghanistan

The secretary of defense will reportedly discuss progress on peace talks with the Taliban amid a deteriorating security situation.

Secretary of Defense James Mattis arrived in Afghanistan for an unannounced visit Friday. He is reportedly scheduled to meet with Army Gen. Scott Miller, who assumed the role of the Commander of Resolute Support and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan last week. Mattis, accompanied by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, will also reportedly discuss progress on peace talks with the Taliban amid a deteriorating security situation in the country. His second visit to Kabul in recent months comes just days after a U.S. service member was killed in an “apparent inside attack,” the sixth American killed while serving in Afghanistan this year. Despite the security situation, Mattis offered an optimistic assessment of the prospects for peace with the Taliban this week. He told reporters that reconciliation is “no longer just a shimmer out there, no longer just a mirage.”