Mattis lands in Kabul, reports Taliban “interest” in reconciliation

On arriving unannounced in Afghanistan Tuesday, US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said that while getting the Taliban to reconcile en masse may be “a bridge too far,” the emphasis was to “start peeling off those who are tired of fighting,” after more than 16 years of war. “We know there is interest on the Taliban side,” he said. Mattis said he believes victory in Afghanistan is still possible, preferably by facilitating a Taliban reconciliation with the Afghan government.