Hagel: Afghanistan on right track
KABUL - With striking optimism, Chuck Hagel said Saturday on his final visit to Afghanistan as US defense secretary that he believes Afghans will successfully put down a surge in Taliban attacks in the capital and stabilize the nation.
"The Taliban are going to continue to have pockets of resurgence, and it's predictable that they would do everything they possibly could to disrupt" the new Afghan government under President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah, Hagel said.
The Taliban clearly are aiming to disrupt the new government and undermine confidence in it. But Hagel said they have failed thus far and are unlikely to ever succeed.
"I have confidence in the Afghan security forces that they will continue to meet these challenges," he said.
