US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reiterated that there has to be “some kind of political settlement in Afghanistan” and that it should be done by Afghans themselves.
“It was also very important to try to accelerate the diplomacy because ultimately everyone recognizes that there is no military solution to Afghanistan,” Blinken said in an interview with CNN.
He said that the US and NATO have been clear on their approach towards Afghanistan.
“We went in together, we’ve adapted to circumstances together and we will come out together when the time is right,” he said.
“One of the things that was important was not only to share our thinking as we’re going through this review, including the May 1 deadline but to listen, to hear from our partners who are so invested: their ideas, their thoughts, their analysis,” Blinken said.
While the US agreed to a May 1 withdrawal deadline as part of a diplomatic agreement reached with the Taliban last year, President Joe Biden said at a Wednesday press conference that the date would be “hard to meet” for “tactical reasons”.
In response to Biden’s statement, the Taliban in a statement on Friday warned that delay in American forces’ presence in the country will be seen as the violation of the Doha agreement and that all future responsibility for the continuation of violence will be on those who violate the deal.
Referring to the upcoming UN-led conference on Afghanistan in Turkey, Mohib said that the conference will not yield an outcome unless it is attended by an authorized Taliban delegation that has the decision-making authority. US intelligence agencies have told the Biden administration that the Taliban could overrun most of Afghanistan within two to three years if US troops leave before a power-sharing deal is reached between the warring sides, a news report said on Friday. Such a takeover potentially would allow al Qaeda to rebuild in Afghanistan, the New York Times reported, quoting anonymous US officials. (TOLO NEWS)