Kamala on Fox News on Wednesday

[webfact]

Trump wants forces reduced in Afghanistan by next U.S. election - Pompeo

By Lesley Wroughton

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, adjusts his headphone during a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan July 9, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump wants combat forces reduced in Afghanistan by the next U.S. presidential election, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday, introducing a timeline to Washington's plan for cutting troop numbers there.

 

Trump's South Asia strategy, unveiled in August 2017, called for an open-ended deployment of U.S. forces with the goal of compelling the Taliban to negotiate peace with the Kabul government to end nearly 18 years of war.

 

"That's my directive from the president of the United States," Pompeo told The Economic Club of Washington when asked whether he expects Trump to reduce troops in Afghanistan before the November 2020 election.

 

"He's been unambiguous: End the endless wars, draw down, reduce. It won't just be us," he said, referring to Trump's directive. "We hope that overall the need for combat forces in the region is reduced."

 

The disclosure of a timeline will add to speculation that Trump is prepared to strike any deal with the Taliban insurgency that will allow for at least partial U.S. withdrawal before American voters go to the polls, irrespective of concerns by the U.S.-backed government in Kabul.

 

Pompeo's comments also come at a delicate moment, as the United States prepares to engage in another round talks with the insurgents.

 

Disclosing Trump's goals of a troop drawdown could weaken the U.S. negotiating position if the Taliban believe Trump wants to withdraw, irrespective of the outlines of any deal.

 

On Friday, the State Department said Pompeo and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani agreed in a phone call to "accelerate efforts" to end the war and said the United States was committed to a conditions-based drawdown of troops.

 

Pompeo said he was "optimistic" about negotiations with the Taliban and the Afghan government.

 

Washington wants to negotiate a deal under which foreign forces would pull out in return for security guarantees by the Taliban, including a pledge that the country will not become a safe haven for terror groups.

 

"We want them to take their country back and we want to reduce what is, for us, tens of billions of dollars a year in expenditures," Pompeo added.

 

The United States and other NATO troops are stationed in Afghanistan as part of a mission to train, assist and advise Afghan forces and to carry out counter-terrorism operations.

 

Two U.S. service members were killed in Afghanistan on Monday, the NATO-led Resolute Support mission said in a statement. The incident brings the number of American troops killed there this month to three and at least 11 in 2019.

 

(Additional reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Dan Grebler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-07-30

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[Srikcir]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

he disclosure of a timeline will add to speculation that Trump is prepared to strike any deal with the Taliban insurgency that will allow for at least partial U.S. withdrawal before American voters go to the polls, irrespective of concerns by the U.S.-backed government in Kabul.

Reckless an irresponsible.

[jamesy9368]

33 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Reckless an irresponsible.

So what do you suggest to end a war lasting 18 years.? Which has gained what.? How many more mums and dads should see there children come back in coffins or with out limbs to make it responsible. How do you suggest you win this unwinnable war with out talking. So Trump wants to stop men coming back in body bags and that's irresponsible. Really.

[OtinPattaya]

Give up the delusion that Trump is a "war-monger." No American president has done more to extricate ourselves out of futile foreign wars we cannot win. 

[Bluespunk]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

He's been unambiguous: End the endless wars, draw down, reduce. 

Great encouragement for those thinking of signing up for his Persian gulf fleet patrol plan.

 

Sure they’ll believe it’ll be different in this case and trump can be trusted to stay till the jobs done. 

Edited July 30, 2019 by Bluespunk

[OtinPattaya]

1 minute ago, Bluespunk said:

Great encouragement for those thinking of signing up for his Persian gulf fleet patrol plan.

 

Sure they’ll believe it’ll be different in this case. 

 

1 minute ago, Bluespunk said:

Great encouragement for those thinking of signing up for his Persian gulf fleet patrol plan.

 

Sure they’ll believe it’ll be different in this case. 

 

1 minute ago, Bluespunk said:

Great encouragement for those thinking of signing up for his Persian gulf fleet patrol plan.

 

Sure they’ll believe it’ll be different in this case. 

 

1 minute ago, Bluespunk said:

Great encouragement for those thinking of signing up for his Persian gulf fleet patrol plan.

 

Sure they’ll believe it’ll be different in this case. 

We all know that Iran is acting irrationally. And that means that, yes, Great Britain is going to have to make some difficult decisions. It wasn't an American tanker that was seized by Iran.

[OtinPattaya]

 

If this were an American ship we'd send a SEAL team to deal with it.  

[Bluespunk]

15 minutes ago, OtinPattaya said:

 

 

 

We all know that Iran is acting irrationally. And that means that, yes, Great Britain is going to have to make some difficult decisions. It wasn't an American tanker that was seized by Iran.

Not sure my post was worth quoting 4 times in one post, but thanks. ????

 

However, my point was not intended to be downplaying the seriousness of the situation in the Gulf, but rather that you can’t trust trump to keep to his promises further than you can defecate him. 

[from the home of CC]

18 minutes ago, OtinPattaya said:

 

If this were an American ship we'd send a SEAL team to deal with it.  

could turn out like the Carter debacle, hence one of the reasons the Brits haven't charged in there..

[stevenl]

26 minutes ago, OtinPattaya said:

We all know that Iran is acting irrationally. And that means that, yes, Great Britain is going to have to make some difficult decisions. It wasn't an American tanker that was seized by Iran.

"We all know that Iran is acting irrationally."

Please don't speak for others.

 

IMO so far Iran has only retaliated, and acted from from irrationally.

[Dap]

Gee, I wonder why he wants it done before the next election and not last year or even before that?

[bristolboy]

2 hours ago, Dap said:

Gee, I wonder why he wants it done before the next election and not last year or even before that?

I wonder if he's contemplating a similar deadline for the Iran situation. And unlike the Afghani situation, this one is entirely his responsibility. 

[bristolboy]

5 hours ago, OtinPattaya said:

 

 

 

We all know that Iran is acting irrationally. And that means that, yes, Great Britain is going to have to make some difficult decisions. It wasn't an American tanker that was seized by Iran.

What we all know is that Trump thought Iran would be a pushover and now he's finding it's not. He's the one who created this mess and the USA's overwhelming failure in recruiting partners to patrol the Gulf stems directly from the fact that the rest of the world recognizes this. I think Trump recognizes it too. He sent Bolton to Mongolia while he was taking a short stroll with Kim in North Korea.

[bristolboy]

4 hours ago, OtinPattaya said:

 

If this were an American ship we'd send a SEAL team to deal with it.  

And if it were a drone.. Trump would thank the Iranians for shooting down that drone instead of shooting down a military aircraft with Americans on it. 

[jany123]

5 hours ago, jamesy9368 said:

So what do you suggest to end a war lasting 18 years.? Which has gained what.? How many more mums and dads should see there children come back in coffins or with out limbs to make it responsible. How do you suggest you win this unwinnable war with out talking. So Trump wants to stop men coming back in body bags and that's irresponsible. Really.

The comment you referenced was “reckless and irresponsible”

 

by making this kind of statement, the trump is being reckless and irresponsible because it gives leverage to the opposing negotiating team..... it (the trumps military expose/ gaff/ leak/ whistleblowing) could result in further unnecessary deaths... causing further mum and dad’s to be mourning the return of an inanimate box, vs a child with all its arms and legs attached and working.

 

“reckless and irresponsible” are trumps words, or more correctly, their timing. He should be locked up for stupidity.... and if that’s not a crime, it damn well should be....

 

and, you win an unwinnable war by not starting it in the first place.... everybody who’s ever been, has given up.... to go was a decision made by duly elected representatives of those divided states...it was America’s choice..... . and if your last line is correct about the trumps body bag ambition, then y’all need to start talking a lot louder about what he’s doing in Iran, because the trump is setting y’all up for a lot more bloodshed in distant lands.

[Laughing Gravy]

Well make political sense. A second term coming for Trump IMHO. No doubt I will get flamed for even suggesting it.????

[Redline]

On 7/30/2019 at 4:58 PM, jamesy9368 said:

So what do you suggest to end a war lasting 18 years.? Which has gained what.? How many more mums and dads should see there children come back in coffins or with out limbs to make it responsible. How do you suggest you win this unwinnable war with out talking. So Trump wants to stop men coming back in body bags and that's irresponsible. Really.

You can use this for story for every war in history.  Remember how it started?  The only attack on USA soil.  I don’t like war, but humans do, and people die in them for religion, influences, power, water, land, resources, vengeance....

It’s a fact of the human condition.  After he wins, he will send them back because he can’t run again ????

 

[Scott]

Post with factually incorrect information has been removed along with reply.