Iran Press/America: Despite all realities on the ground about US support for various terrorist groups, such as ISIS, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, in his new tweet on Saturday claimed that his country is serious about pursuing peace in Afghanistan.
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"The U.S. is serious about pursuing peace, preventing #Afghanistan from continuing to be a space for international terrorism & bringing forces home. Working with the Afghan gov’t [government] & all interested parties, the U.S. seeks to strengthen Afghan sovereignty, independence & prosperity," Pompeo posted on Twitter.
According to an Iran Press report, Pompeo's claim comes despite a mountain of evidence pointing to US support for various terror groups active in Afghanistan. The US army recently helped defeated terrorists in Syria to relocate to Afghanistan.
In an abrupt shift in the 17-year-old war there and a decision that stunned Afghan officials, the Trump administration has ordered the military to start withdrawing roughly 7,000 troops from Afghanistan in the coming months.
As US side claims, the reduction of American forces in Afghanistan is an effort to make Afghan forces more reliant on their own troops and not Western support.
There are currently around 14,000 US troops on top of around 16,000 servicemen from NATO and partner states deployed in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has long been suffering from an unstable political, social, and security situation due to the activity of various terrorist and radical groups, including ISIS.
Earlier on December 30, 2018, 'Time' magazine reported that the former top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said that withdrawing up to half the 14,000 American troops serving there would reduce the incentive for the Taliban to negotiate a peace deal after more than 17 years of war.
According to the report, Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal said the U.S. has “basically traded away the biggest leverage point we have.” McChrystal’s comments were in response to reports that US President Donald Trump had ordered the Pentagon to develop plans to withdraw thousands of American troops by next summer.
At the same time, Senator Lindsey Graham also warned that removing all US forces would damage security and could allow ISIS to rebuild. Speaking on CNN the South Carolina Republican insisted that he would speak with the US President to ensure that troops remain in Afghanistan. Senator Graham also warned that ISIS was “on the rise” in Afghanistan, reported Sunday Express on Jan 3.
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