Dempsey Visits Afghanistan

TOLONEWS TV

The US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Marin Dempsey arrived late Sunday in Afghanistan to discuss with the Isaf commander General John Allen plans to draw down the number of US troops in the country. "Gen. Martin E. Dempsey arrived April 22, and after a private dinner with a small group of field grade officers, met for about an hour with Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, Isaf commander in Afghanistan," Isaf said in a statement on Monday. Dempsey and Allen met to discuss the plan to draw down the US presence in Afghanistan to 68,000 troops by the end of September, Isaf said. There are currently around 90,000 US troops in Afghanistan. "The key for military leaders is to work along with their Afghan partners to ensure Afghanistan's national security forces continue their progress toward full security responsibility and to work together in addressing the challenges that lie ahead in that effort," Dempsey said. Earlier, Dempsey met in Amman with Lieutenant General Mashal al-Zaben, Jordan's defense chief. They discussed the long-standing US-Jordanian partnership and regional security issues, including Jordan's perspective on the situation in neighbouring Syria. The visit comes as the Afghanistan-US long-term strategic agreement was finalised and is ready to be signed by the presidents of both countries. Afghanistan's National Security Advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta and US Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker finalised the agreement in a ceremony on Sunday, and it is expected to be signed at the Nato summit in four weeks.