Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld saw firsthand just how fragile Afghanistan remains two years after the end of the Taliban’s reign.
Just two hours after Rumsfeld met with President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, a rocket exploded in a field near the U.S. Embassy in another section of the capital city. No one was injured in the explosion.
Rumsfeld also met for the first time with northern Afghanistan’s two major warlords, welcoming them warmly. Afterward, he said he was satisfied they were moving toward disarmament of their rival armies– a step considered critical to extending the central government’s authority beyond Kabul.
“Each of them has initiated that process,” Rumsfeld told reporters. “It’s under way, and that is a very good thing. At what pace it will proceed I guess remains to be seen, but we’re pleased that they’ve agreed to do so.”
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Compiled from RedEye news services and edited by Joe Knowles (jknowles@tribune.com)
