美國新任國防部長卡特前往阿富汗南部地區大綱
New U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter traveled to southern Afghanistan Sunday to review plans to withdraw U.S. troops from the country within two years.
On his second day in Afghanistan, Carter few to Kandahar from the capital, Kabul, where he had held a series of talks Saturday with Afghan leaders and American military commanders.
Carter is in Kandahar to receive briefings from U.S. and Afghan commanders on progress in training Afghan security forces.
Carter said the United States is "rethinking details" of its counter-terrorism mission in Afghanistan, including whether to slow down the withdrawal of U.S. troops, whose mission is changing from combat to training as Afghan troops take on responsibility for the fight against the Taliban.
He told reporters the issue is on the agenda when Afghan President Ashraf Ghani visits Washington next month.
Carter met with President Ghani, discussing both the drawdown and Afghan efforts to fight the Taliban. President Ghani told reporters that prospects for peace with the Taliban are better now than they have been in more than three decades, although he gave few details. He said "the direction is positive" but added he would not make "premature announcements."
Carter is also scheduled to meet with U.S. troops during his visit.
About 10,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan.美國新任國防部長阿什頓·卡特星期天前往阿富汗南部地區，考量美軍兩年內從阿富汗撤出的計劃。
卡特抵達阿富汗的第二天，從首都喀布爾飛往坎大哈省。此前他在喀布爾與阿富汗領導人和美軍指揮官進行了一系列會談。
卡特在坎大哈聽取美軍以及阿富汗軍隊的指揮官報告有關培訓阿富汗保安部隊的進展。
他表示，美國正在“重新考量”在阿富汗反恐使命的具體安排，包括是否放慢美國撤軍的步伐。美軍在阿富汗的任務正從作戰轉爲培訓，阿富汗軍隊接手承擔起打擊塔利班的責任。
卡特對記者說，這個問題是下個月阿富汗總統加尼訪問華盛頓時的一個議題。
卡特與阿富汗總統加尼舉行了會談，討論了撤軍以及阿富汗打擊塔利班的行動。加尼總統對記者說，目前與塔利班達成和平協議的前景比過去30多年任何時候都好，但是他沒有透露任何細節。他說，有良好的趨勢，但是發佈消息的時機還不成熟。
卡塔計劃在阿富汗訪問期間視察駐阿美軍。目前美國在阿富汗有大約一萬駐軍。
