Abdullah suggests conditions-based US pullout

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghanistan’s reconciliation chief has faulted US President Donald Trump’s decision on cutting American troop levels in the war-torn country.

Last week, the outgoing US leader announced scaling down the American military presence in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500 by January 2021, causing concerns among NATO allies.

In reaction to Trump’s move, the High Council for National Reconciliation chairman suggested the drawdown in US forces should be linked to a breakthrough in the Doha peace parleys.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah: “This is the decision by the US administration and we respect it.

“Our preference would have been that with the conditions improving then this should have taken place. But the promise of the current US administration has been that the rest of the troops will stay there, and that decision will be based on conditions and the future administration will decide about it.”

Abdullah noted support from the United States for the continuation of the Kabul-Taliban peace talks in Doha. “What form and what shape it will take remains to be seen.”

However, he hoped, the US would continue to work for peaceful settlement in his country.

PAN Monitor/mud