美国国防部长马蒂斯星期三抵达阿富汗，这次访问事先没有宣布，是白宫公布阿富汗新战略计划后马蒂斯首次前往阿富汗访问。
喀布尔是马蒂斯南亚之行的第二站，他刚刚结束对新德里的访问。
美国总统川普上个月宣布的阿富汗行动计划谈到，在打破阿富汗政府与塔利班反叛武装之间的僵局上，包括印度在内的亚洲国家应该发挥更大的作用。
马蒂斯在新德里访问期间，赞扬印度在阿富汗问题上做出了“不可估量的”贡献，并欢迎印度继续努力，推动阿富汗的民主、稳定和安全。
印度国防部长西塔拉曼保证加强与阿富汗的合作，但明确表示，不会向阿富汗派兵。
美国的阿富汗行动计划要求增加在阿富汗的驻军。马蒂斯最近宣布，美国将向阿富汗增派3千美军，使美国在阿富汗的驻军总人数超过1万4千人。
川普总统的计划还要增加炸弹的数量。军方的官方数字显示，美军8月份在阿富汗投掷的炸弹是2012年以来最多的一个月。
经过16年的战争，美军如今在阿富汗主要参加非战斗工作，为阿富汗部队和相关部门充当顾问，提供支持。
川普总统强调说，美军撤军要依阿富汗地面战况决定，拒绝向前任奥巴马总统那样，设定撤军的具体日期。
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis landed in Afghanistan Wednesday on an unannounced visit – his first since the White House unveiled a revised plan for the U.S.-led war here.
Mattis landed in Kabul, his second stop on a South Asia tour that began in New Delhi.
President Donald Trump’s Afghanistan plan, announced last month, envisions a greater role for regional players, including India, to help break the deadlock with Taliban insurgents.
During his stop in the Indian capital, Mattis praised India’s “invaluable” contributions to Afghanistan, and welcomed “further efforts to promote Afghanistan’s democracy, stability, and security.”
Mattis’ Indian counterpart, Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, promised to strengthen cooperation with Kabul, though he ruled out sending any Indian troops there.
The U.S. plan calls for a larger military presence in Afghanistan. Mattis recently announced the U.S. would send another 3,000 American troops, bringing the total number in the country to over 14,000.
Trump’s plan also calls for more bombs. Official military figures show the U.S. dropped more weapons (503) on Afghanistan during August than in any other single month since 2012.
In a stalemate after 16 years of fighting, U.S. troops are involved primarily in a non-combat role, providing advice and assistance to Afghan defense forces and institutions.
Trump has stressed that the U.S. troops will only be withdrawn based on conditions on the ground, and has refused to set fixed withdrawal dates, as did his predecessor, Barack Obama.