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    October 19, 2011

Clinton in Afghanistan for Talks on Ending War

   VOA News

   U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Afghanistan for talks
   aimed at finding a political solution to the 10-year war.
   Clinton arrived in Kabul late Wednesday on a previously unannounced
   visit.
   U.S. officials say the secretary will meet with Afghan President Hamid
   Karzai and other officials on Thursday to talk about the security
   transition in Afghanistan and the reconciliation process.
   The Afghan government's peace talks with the Taliban have stalled since
   last month's killing of former President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was
   leading Karzai's outreach to the insurgents as head of the High Peace
   Council.
   A suicide bomber posing as a Taliban emissary killed Rabbani at his
   home in Kabul on September 20.
   Violence in Afghanistan has escalated as international troops have
   started withdrawing from the country and transferring security
   responsibility to their Afghan security forces.
   Afghan officials said Wednesday that five Afghan troops were killed in
   a roadside bomb explosion in the western province of Herat. The
   officials said the troops were killed after their vehicle struck the
   bomb in the Pashtun Zarghun district.
   An Afghan army officer and four soldiers were killed in the attack. No
   one has claimed responsibility for the blast.
   Two NATO soldiers also were killed in a bomb attack Wednesday. The
   coalition said the service members were killed in eastern Afghanistan,
   but gave no other details.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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