US Secretary of State Visits Afghanistan in Surprise Trip After Biden’s Withdrawal Announcement

Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation (C) walks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, at the Sapidar Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, on April 15, 2021. Sapidar Palace via AP

Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Afghanistan on April 15, less than 24 hours after President Joe Biden announced that all American troops would be leaving the country by Sept. 11.

Blinken, in an unannounced trip, met in Kabul with the country’s president, Ashraf Ghani, and another top official, Abdullah Abdullah.