Hagel Visits Afghanistan

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel arrived in the Afghan capital “to take stock of America’s winding-down war in Afghanistan, one of the thorniest issues the new Pentagon chief will confront,” the Washington Post reports.

“The trip, which was not announced in advance due to security concerns, comes at a delicate time. U.S. officials continue to debate the role and mission the United States should aspire to have in Afghanistan in the long run — a process that has become knottier as Karzai has sought to rein in the authority of American troops in recent weeks.”