U.S. defense secretary Robert Gates Wednesday arrived in Afghan capital of Kabul to hold talks with U.S. military commanders and Afghan president Hamid Karzai after wrapping up a visit to Iraq, reports reaching here said.
This visit came as the U.S. military has suffered over 100 deaths so far this year in Afghanistan, making 2008 the deadliest one for the international forces based here fighting Taliban-led militants.
Meanwhile, there is rising criticism among the public and government officials on the civilian deaths caused in operations by the U.S.-led foreign troops, who last month killed 90 civilians in western Afghan province of Herat in an air-strike, which according to reports was conducted upon misleading information.
Taliban militants increased their attacks on Karzai-led government over the months despite the presence of a total of 70,000-strong foreign troops, around half of whom are U.S. soldiers.
Western officials pay visits, mostly unannounced ones, to the war-torn country frequently, usually to reiterate their support of helping Afghan government fight Taliban and rebuild the country.
Washington just weeks ago announced an additional reinforcement of several thousand troops to Afghan battlefield, which echoed a popular view that Afghanistan, instead of Iraq, is to be the focus of the American-led "war on terror".
Source:Xinhua
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