India, March 24 -- Lloyd Austin, the Defence Secretary under the Biden Administration, decided to make an unscheduled stop at Afghanistan after concluding his first foreign visit to meet close allies in Asia. After meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Austin met key officials in Korea and in India where he also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Post this scheduled trip which aimed to bolster the US' alliance network, the Pentagon chief took an unexpected detour to Kabul. Austin - a former four-star General in the US Army who played a key role in the exit of US forces from Iraq - went to Afghanistan ostensibly to "listen to soldiers." The visit assumes significance since by all indications the May 1 deadline set for the withdrawal of US ...