Global EditionASIA 中文双语Français
World
Home / World / Middle East

Trump's national security adviser cautions Taliban against breaking violence reduction deal

Xinhua | Updated: 2020-02-24 10:19
Share
Share - WeChat
An official inspects unexploded car and explosive devices which were seized from Taliban insurgents in Jalalabad, Afghanistan December 10, 2019. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said on Sunday that the United States would be unlikely to sign an agreement with the Afghan Taliban should the latter fail to comply with a reduction of violence deal.

"If the Taliban does not live up to their agreement on the reduction of violence plan, then we'll take a very careful look at it, and I think it'd be unlikely that we'd sign a peace treaty," O'Brien said during an interview with CBS News.

"We're not going to reduce troops to a level below what is necessary to protect American interests and our partners in Afghanistan," he added.

Earlier in the day, Trump told reporters before kicking off his trip to India that the Taliban "are tired of fighting," and both the United States and the Taliban seek to make a deal.

The so-called seven-day reduction in violence, which started on Saturday, could be a test for the Taliban leadership to prove its control over its fighters ahead of signing a peace deal with the United States to end the war in Afghanistan.

According to security officials, no major security incidents have been reported from across the country.

Only a convoy of security forces came under attack in Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province at 10:30 a.m. local time Sunday, provincial police spokesman Jamal Barikzai confirmed.

However, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack that left no casualties.

The United States and the Afghan Taliban said on Friday that they are set to sign an agreement on Feb. 29 after the implementation of a week-long violence reduction in Afghanistan.

Peace talks between the United States and the Taliban began in 2018 but have been interrupted at least twice after Taliban attacks on US military personnel in September and December last year.

The war in Afghanistan is the longest one in US history. The death toll of US service members has surpassed 2,400 since the country invaded Afghanistan in 2001. Trump has long grumbled about the US military presence in Afghanistan that started in 2001, calling it "ridiculous."

Most Viewed in 24 Hours
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US