Austin visits Afghanistan as Trump’s troop deadline nears

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan as the U.S. weighs the future of its troop presence and the risk of further territorial gains by the Taliban.

President Joe Biden is under pressure to decide whether to abide by an Afghan peace deal reached during Donald Trump’s final year that’s aimed at bringing home the roughly 2,500 U.S. troops by May 1. It’s a deadline — now just six weeks away — that Biden has said “could happen” but would be “tough” to meet.

Austin and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani met in Kabul on Sunday and discussed issues related to the peace process, a U.S. withdrawal and countering terrorism, deputy presidential spokesman Dawa Khan Menapal said. The visit wasn’t previously announced for security reasons.

Austin last month pledged a “thoughtful and deliberate” review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, saying there would be “no surprises” for the Afghan government or U.S. allies with troops in the country. Biden said last week he’s consulting with allies on the drawdown’s pace.

“I’m in the process of making that decision now, as to when they’ll leave,” Biden told ABC News.

Last year’s deal provided the opportunity to wind down the U.S. role on conditions that violence declined, the Taliban pledged to bar terrorist groups such as al-Qaida and Islamic State from operating in the country, and that the government and the Taliban entered into productive peace talks.