Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the US is ready to help negotiate a peace deal between Taliban militants and the Afghan government that would give the Taliban “political legitimacy.”
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“Our new strategy breaks from previous approaches that set artificial calendar-based deadlines. We are making clear to the Taliban that they will not win on the battlefield. The Taliban has a path to peace and political legitimacy through a negotiated political settlement to end the war,” Tillerson said in a statement following President Donald Trump’s remarks on the war in Afghanistan on Monday evening.
“We stand ready to support peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban without preconditions,” the secretary of state continued. “We look to the international community, particularly Afghanistan’s neighbors, to join us in supporting an Afghan peace process.”
“Pakistan has suffered greatly from terrorism and can be an important partner in our shared goals of peace and stability in the region,” Tillerson said.
“We look to Pakistan to take a decisive action against militant groups based in Pakistan that are a threat to the region,” he said. “It is vital to US interests that Afghanistan and Pakistan prevent terrorist sanctuaries.”
Tillerson added: “India will be an important partner in the effort to ensure peace and stability in the region, and we welcome its role in supporting Afghanistan’s political and economic modernization.”
Via RT. This piece was reprinted by RINF Alternative News with permission or license.