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| John Kerry makes surprise visit to Afghanistan | John Kerry makes surprise visit to Afghanistan |
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| The US secretary of state, John Kerry, has flown into Afghanistan on an unannounced visit to see Hamid Karzai amid concerns that the Afghan president may be jeopardising progress in the war against extremism with anti-American rhetoric. | The US secretary of state, John Kerry, has flown into Afghanistan on an unannounced visit to see Hamid Karzai amid concerns that the Afghan president may be jeopardising progress in the war against extremism with anti-American rhetoric. |
| Kerry arrived in the Afghan capital on Monday for a 24-hour visit, during which he is meeting Karzai and discussing a host of issues including Afghan reconciliation, the transfer of security responsibility to Afghan forces and Afghanistan's elections. | Kerry arrived in the Afghan capital on Monday for a 24-hour visit, during which he is meeting Karzai and discussing a host of issues including Afghan reconciliation, the transfer of security responsibility to Afghan forces and Afghanistan's elections. |
| Karzai has infuriated US officials by accusing Washington of colluding with Taliban insurgents to keep Afghanistan weak even as the Obama administration presses ahead with plans to hand over security responsibility to Afghan forces and end Nato's combat mission by the end of next year. | Karzai has infuriated US officials by accusing Washington of colluding with Taliban insurgents to keep Afghanistan weak even as the Obama administration presses ahead with plans to hand over security responsibility to Afghan forces and end Nato's combat mission by the end of next year. |
| Karzai is due to travel to Qatar within days to discuss the peace process and the opening of a Taliban office for conducting negotiations. The trip comes after years of stalled discussions with the US, Pakistan and the Taliban. | Karzai is due to travel to Qatar within days to discuss the peace process and the opening of a Taliban office for conducting negotiations. The trip comes after years of stalled discussions with the US, Pakistan and the Taliban. |
| Commenting on Karzai's trip, a US official told reporters: "I wouldn't want to overplay it but I think that it's a very positive sign. It's another step on a continued path toward … getting to some sort of reconciliation process. | Commenting on Karzai's trip, a US official told reporters: "I wouldn't want to overplay it but I think that it's a very positive sign. It's another step on a continued path toward … getting to some sort of reconciliation process. |
| "Nobody is expecting that he will open an office there in a week. Nobody is expecting that he will be sitting down with Taliban in a week. This is a long process and this is one more small but positive step in that … process." | "Nobody is expecting that he will open an office there in a week. Nobody is expecting that he will be sitting down with Taliban in a week. This is a long process and this is one more small but positive step in that … process." |
| Tensions between the United States and Afghanistan have deepened in recent years over a range of issues, including civilian casualties during air strikes, night raids and the transfer of prisoners. | Tensions between the United States and Afghanistan have deepened in recent years over a range of issues, including civilian casualties during air strikes, night raids and the transfer of prisoners. |
| The official acknowledged the difficulties in the US-Afghan relationship but said he believed the countries had resolved a number of them with moves including an agreement to remove US forces from part of Wardak province, where they were accused of mistreating local residents. | The official acknowledged the difficulties in the US-Afghan relationship but said he believed the countries had resolved a number of them with moves including an agreement to remove US forces from part of Wardak province, where they were accused of mistreating local residents. |
| He also said the US believed that the two nations had moved beyond an incident in which Karzai recently accused Washington of colluding with the Taliban to keep foreign forces in Afghanistan, marring the first visit by the US defence secretary, Chuck Hagel, to Pakistan since he took on the post. | He also said the US believed that the two nations had moved beyond an incident in which Karzai recently accused Washington of colluding with the Taliban to keep foreign forces in Afghanistan, marring the first visit by the US defence secretary, Chuck Hagel, to Pakistan since he took on the post. |
| "There will always be bumps in the road … It's a relationship that can withstand those," the US official said. | "There will always be bumps in the road … It's a relationship that can withstand those," the US official said. |
| "The process of winding down our current position and role in Afghanistan and stepping into more of a support role … is not going to be a smooth process at all times. Issues of sovereignty and security are always going to be difficult." | "The process of winding down our current position and role in Afghanistan and stepping into more of a support role … is not going to be a smooth process at all times. Issues of sovereignty and security are always going to be difficult." |
| Earlier on Monday, the US military ceded control of its last detention facility in Afghanistan, a year after the two sides initially agreed on the transfer. Karzai demanded control of the Parwan facility, located near the US-run Bagram military base north of Kabul, as a matter of national sovereignty. | Earlier on Monday, the US military ceded control of its last detention facility in Afghanistan, a year after the two sides initially agreed on the transfer. Karzai demanded control of the Parwan facility, located near the US-run Bagram military base north of Kabul, as a matter of national sovereignty. |
| The top US commander in Afghanistan, General Joseph Dunford, handed over Parwan at a ceremony there after signing an agreement with the Afghan defence minister, Bismillah Khan Mohammadi. "This ceremony highlights an increasingly confident, capable and sovereign Afghanistan," Dunford said. | The top US commander in Afghanistan, General Joseph Dunford, handed over Parwan at a ceremony there after signing an agreement with the Afghan defence minister, Bismillah Khan Mohammadi. "This ceremony highlights an increasingly confident, capable and sovereign Afghanistan," Dunford said. |
| Kerry flew to Afghanistan from Amman, Jordan, where he spent the night after visiting Iraq on Sunday. In Baghdad, Kerry confronted the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, for continuing to grant Iran access to its airspace and said Iraq's behaviour was raising questions about its reliability as a partner. | Kerry flew to Afghanistan from Amman, Jordan, where he spent the night after visiting Iraq on Sunday. In Baghdad, Kerry confronted the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, for continuing to grant Iran access to its airspace and said Iraq's behaviour was raising questions about its reliability as a partner. |
| Before leaving Amman for Kabul, Kerry met the head of Pakistan's army, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. | Before leaving Amman for Kabul, Kerry met the head of Pakistan's army, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. |
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