Pompeo meets Afghan political rivals

KABUL US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the Afghan capital on Monday on a previously unannounced visit to try to salvage a historic deal between Washington and the Taliban, struck in February but marred by a political feud. Pompeo visited Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at his palace before meeting his political rival Abdullah Abdullah, both of whom say they are Afghanistan’s rightful leader following a disputed election in September. Their standoff has stalled the selection of a negotiating team to represent the Afghan government in planned talks with the Taliban. A senior State Department official said the purpose of Pompeo’s visit was to try to mediate a solution between the two men. He is scheduled to hold meetings later with both together. `“The fear is that unless this crisis gets resolved … soon, that could affect the peace process… Our agreement with the Taliban could be put at risk,” the official said, adding it was unclear whether a resolution would be found during the one-day visit.