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KABUL: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Afghan government would be in center of any peace talks. Testifying before United States Senate Appropriations Committee on issue related to Afghanistan, Pompeo in response to a question regarding meaningful particapnt of Afghan government in any peace deal, he said that they will be at the center.
Here are the following quotes of Pompeo’s testimony.
US Senator Lindsey Grahma: Thank you. Outcomes. I love – one, I think you’re doing a great job. Morale is better. You’re spending a lot of time explaining the State Department to people here at home. I think you should travel more in the United States. That’s hard to ask of a guy who spends his life on an airplane, but it’s really important to tell the State Department story. I think you do it very well. Afghanistan. The outcome is peace with dignity for women in Afghanistan. Is that correct?
SECRETARY POMPEO: That’s correct. Also making sure that America’s counterterrorism interests are protected as well.
CHAIRMAN GRAHAM: So we have two goals: make sure that people like ISIS and al-Qaida types, who will never come to the peace table, they do not recapture, take over Afghanistan. Correct?
SECRETARY POMPEO: That’s correct, sir.
CHAIRMAN GRAHAM: And if we reintegrate the Taliban back into the Afghan community writ large that we do so on our terms, not theirs.
SECRETARY POMPEO: That’s correct.
CHAIRMAN GRAHAM: When it comes to Afghanistan, can you assure this committee and the world that the Afghan Government will be a meaningful participant in any peace deal?
SECRETARY POMPEO: More than that, they will be at the center. It will be Afghan-led.
US doing all-out efforts to bring Afghan government and Taliban member into one table to end the decade-long conflict, but Taliban time and again rejected direct talks with Kabul administration, rather label it as puppet.
The Taliban also rejected its participation in forthcoming Consultative Loya Jirga for peace to be held on 29 April, but show readiness to hold talks with Afghan delegation in Qatar salted for 19 till 21 April.
