WASHINGTON -
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is headed home
after a trip to Afghanistan that was full of political tension, violence and
some harsh allegations.
This morning an Afghan police officer opened
fire on U.S. troops at a police station in the Wardak Province.
Over the weekend, two suicide bombings
killed at least 19 people. The attack in Kabul was close enough that Hagel
could hear the blast.
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai then
surprised U.S. officials, claiming the U.S. is coordinating with the Taliban to
use violence to keep American forces there.
Hagel later met with the Afghan leader
in private.
An Obama administration official tells CBS
News the United States has not had direct contact with the Taliban since talks
broke off a year ago.
Karzai is also upset America has not
honored an agreement to pull U.S. special forces from an area near the capital.
A coalition spokesman says they are
working toward that goal.
The political tensions come as coalition
and Afghan leaders are also negotiating the long term presence of U.S. forces.
Right
now, all U.S. combat troops are supposed to be out the country by 2014.
