Tillerson Makes Surprise Visit to Afghanistan Amid Turmoil

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan on October 23. During his stay, Tillerson met with Afghan leaders at Bagram Air Base and publicly called on the Pakistani government to crack down on terrorists taking haven in Pakistan. Tillerson also reportedly gave Pakistani leaders a list of 75 terrorists to monitor.Pakistani Foreign Minister Khwaja Asif criticized both the accuracy of this list and the assumed responsibility of Pakistan in addressing terrorism, saying that some of the people on the list were already dead and that “Pakistan is not America’s colony that would do whatever they want.” Asif also claimed that Pakistan no longer has influence over the Taliban, arguing that they “had influence over them in the past, but now they are being sponsored by others.” During the trip, Tillerson also commented that “moderate voices” exist within the Taliban. He said to Afghani reporters, “There’s a place for them in the government if they’re ready to come renouncing terrorism, renouncing violence and being committed to a stable, prosperous Afghanistan.” Despite Tillerson’s attempts to open the door for diplomacy, the United States continues to expand its military approach against the Taliban. Citing two senior American military officials, the New York Times reported on October 22 that the CIA is expanding its covert operations in Afghanistan, sending small teams alongside Afghan forces to search for and kill Taliban militants. Tillerson’s visit and the CIA’s increased efforts follow rapid deterioration in Afghan security. The Taliban recently launched waves of attacks in Afghanistan, targeting police compounds and government buildings with suicide bombers. At least 200 people died in total during the week following October 19 in a spike of violence headed by the Taliban and smaller mili