NATO chief says Afghan exit going well as 10 die in attacks

The head of NATO says the military organization’s pullout from Afghanistan is going well after an 18-year presence in the country

BRUSSELS -- NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the military organization’s pullout from Afghanistan is going well, as at least six people were killed Tuesday in a series of attacks that plunged the country's capital, Kabul, into darkness. NATO has helped provide security in Afghanistan for almost two decades, but it now believes the government and armed forces it has trained are strong enough to stand on their own in the conflict-torn country without the help of international troops. NATO took charge of security efforts in Afghanistan in 2003, two years after a U.S.-led coalition ousted the Taliban for harboring former Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Fewer than 9,000 troops remain, including up to 3,500 US personnel, and they are scheduled to leave by Sept. 11 at the latest. “The drawdown of our forces is progressing in an orderly and coordinated way. At every step, the safety of our personnel remains paramount,” Stoltenberg told reporters after chairing virtual meetings of NATO’s foreign and defense ministers.