The Army’s top officer, Gen. Mark Milley, makes surprise stop in Kabul
By: The Associated Press  
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani during a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Jan. 3, 2019. Pictured: Milley, right, and Lt. Gen. Paul Funk, commander of Combined Joint Task Force- Operation Inherent Resolve, visit the Baghdad Operations Center and 3d Cavalry Regiment “Brave Rifles†troopers supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, Aug. 15, 2018. (Spc. Arnada Jones/Army)
KABUL, Afghanistan — The U.S. Army’s chief of staff made a surprise visit to the capital Kabul where he met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to discuss prospects for a peaceful end to the country’s 17-year war, the United States' longest.
In a statement late Thursday, Ghani’s office said Gen. Mark A. Milley supported Afghan-led talks with the Taliban, although the burden of getting the two sides to the table seems to have fallen to Washington’s newly appointed peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.
Khalilzad has met several times with Taliban insurgents since his appointment in September. They have consistently refused direct talks with Ghani’s representatives calling the Kabul government U.S. puppets.
https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2019/01/03/the-armys-top-officer-gen-mark-milley-makes-surprise-stop-in-kabul/
