“It’s very important that we continue intelligence there in all cases because it is somewhat of a nest for hitting us,” Trump said on Aug. 18. “There’s a big argument to be made, and I buy that argument.”
(MORE: Army identifies 2 Green Berets killed in Afghanistan)
But the issue has been particularly vexing in negotiations, as the Taliban demands that a U.S. withdrawal mean all American forces.
The top U.S. military official seemed to say on Wednesday that ensuring Afghanistan isn’t a terror safe haven would require a U.S. military presence for the time being.
“Could we talk conceptually about a time in the future when the Afghan security forces can deal with security in their country by themselves? You can. But we’re not prepared to have a specific conversation about when that may be or what capability will be associated with what operating environment,” said Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “We will need our interests addressed.”
Jorge Silva/Reuters
President Donald Trump speaks next to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a news conference after Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at the JW Marriott Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb. 28, 2019.
Critics have also challenged how the U.S. will ensure that the Taliban, which maintains ties with al-Qaeda and has battled a growing Islamic State affiliate, will keep the country free of terror groups.
“Any deal, if one is reached, will be so stringently monitored and verified. The agreement we’re working on is not based on trust — it will be based on clear requirements and commitments, subject to our monitoring and verification and will be in sync with the understandings we reach” with the Afghan government, a State Department spokesperson told ABC News on Wednesday.
There are also questions about the Afghan government’s capability. Dunford said its security forces, which Khalilzad vowed had continued U.S. support, still require American backing.
(MORE: Afghan female leaders urge Trump administration to stand up for their rights in Taliban peace talks)
Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images, FILE
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad attends the Intra Afghan Dialogue talks in Doha, Qatar, July 8, 2019.
“Right now, it’s our judgement that the Afghans need support to deal with the level of violence” from the Taliban insurgency, he said, noting that could change if a deal with the Taliban is reached.
U.S. officials are also keenly aware that any deal with the Taliban is just the first step in a long road that next runs through those intra-Afghan talks.
But top officials like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have not said whether a U.S. withdrawal is entirely tied to the success of those talks, and Trump has made clear his strong desire to begin bringing troops home soon.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
