US commander says Taliban are not keeping 'their part of the bargain'
Source: The Guardian
The US commander for the Middle East and Afghanistan has said the Taliban are not keeping their part of the bargain from the deal signed with the US earlier this month, saying the insurgents were continuing to launch attacks.
Marine Gen Frank McKenzie was giving evidence to Congress on Tuesday, hours after US forces began pulling out of Afghanistan as agreed in the 29 February deal, and as talks between Taliban and government representatives were due to begin.
The Taliban need to keep their part of the bargain, and they are continuing attacks, McKenzie, the head of US Central Command, said. They are not directed against coalition forces, they are not occurring in city centers, they are occurring at isolated checkpoints. But those attacks are occurring, and theyre not consistent with a movement toward a negotiated settlement, and theyre not consistent with the undertaking they made.
The US-Taliban deal followed a week-long partial ceasefire, but it did not include an agreement to continue that ceasefire. Trump administration officials have said that the withdrawal of the 13,000-strong US military presence in Afghanistan, due to happen over 14 months, would be conditions-based.
-snip-
Julian Borger in Washington
Tue 10 Mar 2020 18.35 GMT
Last modified on Tue 10 Mar 2020 21.49 GMT
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/10/us-taliban-deal-frank-mckenzie-afghanistan
J_William_Ryan
(1,969 posts)thesquanderer
(12,241 posts)olegramps
(8,200 posts)The Taliban are laughing at the damn fools who are trying to score points to bolster up a incompetent administration ahead of the election. The Taliban will retake over the country and impose their nitwit religious restrictions completing the endless cycle of oscillation between sanity and religious intolerance that has been the norm since the domination of the Moslems. They are locked into an intolerant religion that defies any real social advancement.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)beachbumbob
(9,263 posts)Phoenix61
(17,347 posts)oldsoftie
(13,366 posts)riversedge
(72,029 posts)BigmanPigman
(52,129 posts)JDC
(10,350 posts)Shocker that this was an empty agreement. Just like every other thing trump touts. Baseless and worthless.
cstanleytech
(26,805 posts)BlueIdaho
(13,582 posts)Trump is an international laughing stock.
Wolf Frankula
(3,651 posts)That will help.
Wolf
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)largest club in that neighborhood. Iran,and it sure looking like they are beating the remains of the Afghan Government with it.
soryang
(3,304 posts)Maybe have another surge or two.
keithbvadu2
(39,143 posts)Donald the master negotiator
ReformedGOPer
(478 posts)sakabatou
(42,756 posts)Coventina
(27,636 posts)Brainfodder
(7,119 posts)MissMillie
(38,851 posts)Um.... Donnie, you didn't REALLY think they'd keep up their end, did you?