Three days after Trump announced new strategy on Afghanistan, General Nicholson, the U.S. commander of international forces in Afghanistan said Afghanistan enemies cannot win on the battlefield and they will be eradicated.
Speaking at a press conference with acting U.S. ambassador in Kabul, he added it is time for Taliban to join peace process: The Taliban have a simple choice: stop fighting against their countrymen. stop killing innocent civilians and stop bringing hardship and misery.
He described the Taliban as “criminal organization” which he said was more interested in profits from drugs, kidnapping and murder for hire.
Nicholson went on saying that the new U.S. strategy is guided by conditions on the ground, not arbitrary timelines.
Nicholson said that the U.S. will not fail in Afghanistan.
He said that more advisers from U.S. and NATO means enhancing training at military schools and grow Afghan Air Force and Special Forces.
Warning to Pakistan!
Hugo Llorens, the acting U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, echoed that calling on Pakistan to take decisive action against militant groups based in the country.
He also said: “We must maintain pressure on the Taliban to join a peace process with the Afghan government to end the war in Afghanistan.”
“We will remove incentives for the hedging behavior by some that leads to support for the Taliban, and we will emphasized with all regional countries the importance of cooperation to reduce the threat of terrorism and nuclearized conflict,” Llorens said.
“Pakistan and India will play a large parts of this plan, and in the coming days and weeks we will seek help from Afghanistan’s neighbors to assist in the fight.”
This comes as in his speech on Afghanistan, Trump also had warned Pakistan against continuing to provide safe havens to militants who launch attacks in Afghanistan.