Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who appeared with Nicholson at Resolute Support headquarters, said the us would have to "confront Russia" over "denying the sovereignty of other countries", including Afghanistan.
But, earlier on April 24, a senior USA military official told reporters in Kabul that Russian Federation was giving machine guns and other medium-weight weapons to Taliban militants.
"For example, any weapons being funneled here from a foreign country would be a violation of global law", said Mattis.
On Friday, more than 100 people were killed when gunmen disguised as soldiers attacked an army base outside Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. "For example, any weapons being funneled here from a foreign country would be a violation of worldwide law unless they're coming through the government of Afghanistan for the Afghan forces, and so that would have to be dealt with as a violation of global law". The Taliban claimed it carried out the attack.
Kabul was the final stop on a six-nation, weeklong tour Mattis said was meant to bolster relations with allies and partners and to get an update on the stalemated conflict in Afghanistan.
Gen. John Nicholson, the top American commander in Kabul, recently told Congress that he needs a few thousand more troops to keep Afghan security forces on track to eventually handling the Taliban insurgency on their own.
US national security adviser General H.R. McMaster visited Kabul earlier in April.
US misunderstands NAFTA, North American business body says
Emerson says the dispute has nothing to do with policy and more to do with getting a few more billion dollars out of Canada. Consumers and millions of hard-working Americans in the housing sector", a spokesperson for Resolute said in a statement .
Mattis on Monday offered a grim assessment for Afghan forces fighting the Taliban.
Given the sophisticated planning behind the attack, he also said "it's quite possible" that the Pakistan-based Haqqani network was responsible.
The war began in October 2001. The Taliban claimed responsibility, saying it sent 10 militants to avenge recent killings of senior Taliban leaders.
A spokesman for Ghani told Reuters that Minister of Defense Abdullah Habibi and Army Chief of Staff Qadam Shah Shahim resigned because of Friday's attack.
Nicholson said the US has continued to receive reports of Russian assistance to the Taliban.
Mattis did meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, and offered the same assessment that USA officials have been offering on the Afghan War for the past 16 years, that it's "going to be a tough year" in Afghanistan, and that the U.S. appreciates the major problems facing the country.
Comments