Afghan Leader, Criticizing U.S.-Taliban Deal, Plans Visit to Washington by Craig Nelson – Wall Street Journal
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is planning to travel to the U.S. for talks with President Trump, a senior Afghan official said, capping days of government criticism of a proposed U.S.-Taliban accord to withdraw U.S. and other foreign forces from Afghanistan.
The dates of the Afghan president’s visit to Washington weren’t yet confirmed, the official said, adding that he didn’t know if the White House had issued a formal invitation to Mr. Ghani to meet the U.S. president.
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul referred media inquiries about the planned trip to the State Department in Washington. The White House didn’t comment, although no meetings involving the Afghan leader have been scheduled.
Mr. Ghani’s prospective trip appears to represent the government’s latest effort to shape the U.S.-Taliban deal as the chief U.S. negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, seeks to wrap up and announce an accord, a crucial step toward a comprehensive settlement of the nearly 18-year Afghan war, America’s longest…