希拉里鼓励阿富汗与塔利班早日和解

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Afghanistan to encourage President Hamid Karzai to continue efforts to reconcile with the Taliban.

美国国务卿希拉里·克林顿抵达阿富汗。她鼓励阿富汗总统卡尔扎伊继续努力，早日与塔利班和解。

Mrs Clinton's visit to Afghanistan was not announced before her arrival in Kabul late on Wednesday
Mr Karzai has expressed frustration¹ at the process after the assassinations³（暗杀，行刺） of several key Afghan leaders.

US officials say Mrs Clinton also wants to convince Afghans that Washington is committed to a long-term relationship with their country.

The US is planning to withdraw troops and hand over security to the Afghans.

"She wants to signal US support for a secure and stable Afghanistan," a US official told journalists travelling to Afghanistan with Mrs Clinton.

Her visit to Afghanistan was not announced until she arrived in Kabul late on Wednesday.

Brazen⁴ assaults

"She wants to emphasise⁵ that the United States remains⁶ committed to Afghan reconciliation⁷ and will support President Karzai in his efforts, recognising the difficulties that process has undergone since the assassination² of Rabbani."

Burhanuddin Rabbani was a former Afghan president tasked with trying to reconcile the Taliban with Mr Karzai's US-backed government.

He was killed last month by a suicide bomber⁸ posing as a Taliban envoy⁹.

There have also been a number of brazen（厚颜无耻的） assaults on major cities and military targets in recent months.

The Haqqani network of the Taliban, based in Pakistan, has been blamed for many of the attacks.

Relations between the US and Afghanistan on the one side and Pakistan on the other have soured in recent months as Washington and Kabul urge Islamabad to take action against Taliban safe havens¹⁰ in Pakistan's tribal¹¹ areas.

US officials have suggested the Haqqanis are linked to Pakistan's intelligence services, a charge Pakistan denies.

After the Rabbani killing¹², Mr Karzai suggested that Pakistan might be better placed to negotiate with the Taliban.

The officials briefing journalists on Mrs Clinton's Afghanistan visit said she would be discussing Afghanistan's relations with Pakistan in her meetings with Mr Karzai and other officials.