Donald Trump
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
August 3, 2019
U.S. President Donald Trump has told aides that he wants to pull all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan before the presidential election in November 2020, U.S. news agencies are reporting, citing unnamed current and former administration officials.
The latest reports on August 2 come after U.S. media cited unnamed sources as saying the United States is ready to withdraw a large number of troops from Afghanistan in exchange for Taliban guarantees to start direct negotiations with Kabul on ending the nearly 18-year war.
The Washington Post and CNN cited sources as saying that the number of soldiers would go down from 14,000 to 8,000-9,000 as part of a peace deal to end the conflict.
Washington has said it wants a peace deal finalized with the Taliban by September 1.
Later on August 2, NBC News reported that presidential advisers are scrambling to meet Trump’s election-year deadline to withdraw all troops.
A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment on military planning but said U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan are based on conditions on the ground.
When asked directly about troops in Afghanistan, Trump on August 2 did not cite a specific number but told reporters that “we’re reducing it.”
“We’ve been there for 19 years. We’re really serving as policemen. We could win Afghanistan in two days or three days or four days if we wanted, but I’m not looking to kill 10 million people.”
The remarks echoed those made by Trump on July 22 following a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House. Trump at the time told reporters that “If we wanted to fight a war in Afghanistan and win it, I could win that war in a week. I just don’t want to kill 10 million people.”
The comments angered Afghan officials, who demanded an explanation from the White House.
The war in Afghanistan has intensified in recent weeks as both Afghan forces and Taliban militants attempt to increase their leverage in ongoing peace talks. Taliban militants now control or influence about half of Afghanistan’s territory.
U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad is set to begin a fresh round of talks with the Taliban in the Qatari capital of Doha in the next few days.
He has held eight rounds of peace talks so far, with both sides saying they have made significant progress on several components of a peace deal.
Taliban negotiators, however, have refused to meet with Kabul government officials, whom they regard as U.S. puppets.
According to a report released by the United Nations on July 31, 1,366 civilians were killed and 2,446 wounded during the first six months of 2019 in Afghanistan.
With reporting by AFP, NBC, and The Washington Post
Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
Related
*GOOD MAN !!
•
The troop withdrawal
was
promised during last
presidential campaign-
which subsequently
mandated
by
the power
of
the
US public
•
*It is
sealed !
•
Ironically; the
grand invasion
of
2001
had never been
“publicly-sanctioned”.
•
*Thus; clearly
liable
to
“public scrutiny” !
•
.
.
*And; in addition, a launching
of
serious criminal charges would be on order,
(by international courts),
on grounds
of
severe human rights violations
through out the the decades, ever since
the
Soviets pulled out
of
Afghanistan
in
late 1989.
•
All; against the culprits !
•
All,
foreign-conceived
and
perpetuated.
•
How, those coward
perpetrators, could possibly
be able to compensate now- you, tell me !
•
*YOU
MESSED UP
GENERATIONS !
•
*Those
coward
international powers
must
clarify it all !
•
The goofy
neighboring
and
other involved
“onlookers
are guilty
as well !
•
They all, (directly and/or indirectly)
participated
in
foreign-imposed
carnages and extreme humiliations
of
millions and upon millions
of
innocent folks
inside
Afghanistan.
•
*You may not believe it; but, there
is
still
justice after all- and you are
all
totally liable !
•
*SAVAGERIES
MUST NOT
BE
TOLERATED- NO WHERE !
•