While U.S. President Barack Obama spent his year end vacation in Hawaii he sent one of his top envoys to Afghanistan to brief top Afghan leaders on his recently concluded Af-Pak review.
Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough spent most of last week to follow up on the just completed Afghanistan and Pakistan Annual Review, the White House said today.
Mr. McDonough met Afghan National Security Adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta and provided him a readout of the Annual Review, it said, adding that he also met U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry and others at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
The Country Team briefed on development and governance plans and efforts to increase transparency and accountability in U.S. contracting and among Afghan institutions.
While in Kabul, Mr. McDonough was also updated on plans for Afghan Security Force training and developments at NATO Training Mission — Afghanistan, the White House said.
At the Bagram air base, he was briefed by the top U.S. commanders in Afghanistan.
He also toured and received an update on the Parwan detention facility, which is on track to transfer key components to Afghan control in the middle of January 2011, and to full Afghan control in January 2012.
McDonough travelled to Kandahar where he was briefed by Maj. Gen. James Terry, commanding general, 10th Mountain Division and Brig Gen Michael Linnington, ISAF deputy chief of staff for plans and projects, on ongoing clearing efforts in traditional Taliban strongholds in Kandahar City and the Argandahb River Valley north of Kandahar City.
