Trump ‘n’ turkey
US President Donald Trump served turkey to troops and then sat down to eat with them during a surprise Thanksgiving visit to Afghanistan yesterday.
While there, he announced the US and Taliban had been engaged in peace talks and said he believed the Taliban wanted a ceasefire.
Mr Trump flew into Bagram Air Field and spent more than three hours on the ground, his first trip to the site of the US’s longest war.
He also sat down with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
In line with tradition, the trip was kept a secret to ensure Mr Trump’s safety.
About 12,000 US forces remain in Afghanistan.
Travelling with Republican Senator John Barrasso, of Wyoming, and a small group of aides, Mr Trump seemed in good spirits.
He was escorted around the base by heavily armed soldiers, as the smell of burning fuel and garbage wafted through the chilly air.
Mr Trump’s first stop was a dining hall, where the crowd of soldiers erupted into cheers when he arrived.
But while he served up turkey, Mr Trump said he only tasted the mashed potatoes before being pulled away for photos.
“I never got the turkey,” he joked. “A gorgeous piece of turkey.”
Mr Trump insisted the Taliban wanted to make a deal after recent heavy US fire.
“We’re meeting with them,” he said. “And we’re saying it has to be a ceasefire.
“And they don’t want to do a ceasefire, but now they do want to do a ceasefire, I believe … and we’ll see what happens.”
He said he was proceeding with a plan to reduce US troop numbers in Afghanistan, but said the US would stay in the country “until we have a deal or we have total victory.”