Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said “conditions are about to get worse” for the Taliban in Afghanistan after President Donald Trump called off a meeting between Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, Taliban leaders, and the United States.
“We’re going to make sure that everyone in the region understands that America will always protect its national security interests,” he said.
Pompeo emphasized that the objective was to get a deal that would have both sides stand back and reduce violence, and that would require the Taliban to make a public announcement that it’s breaking ties with al Qaeda.
“We’re not going to withdraw our forces without making sure we achieve President Trump’s twin objectives,” Pompeo said. “Any reduction in our forces will be based on actual conditions, not commitments, actual conditions on the ground.” – READ MORE