Trump makes surprise Afghanistan trip, voices hope for ceasefire

[webfact]

Trump makes surprise Afghanistan trip, voices hope for ceasefire

By Humeyra Pamuk and Idrees Ali

 

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. troops in an unannounced visit to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, November 28, 2019. REUTERS/Tom Brenner

 

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - President Donald Trump made a surprise Thanksgiving visit to U.S. troops in Afghanistan on Thursday and said he believed Taliban insurgents would agree to a ceasefire in America's longest war.

 

Trump's visit was his first to Afghanistan since becoming president and came a week after a prisoner swap between Washington and Kabul that has raised hopes for a long elusive peace deal.

 

"The Taliban wants to make a deal and we are meeting with them," Trump told reporters after arriving in Afghanistan after an overnight flight from the United States, kept secret for security reasons.

 

"We say it has to be a ceasefire and they didn't want to do a ceasefire and now they want to do a ceasefire, I believe. It will probably work out that way."

 

Taliban leaders have told Reuters that the group has again been holding meetings with senior U.S. officials in Doha since last weekend, adding they could soon resume formal peace talks.

 

The Air Force One presidential plane touched down at Bagram Airfield late in the evening on Thursday, with White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien, a small group of aides and Secret Service agents. Two surveillance blimps flew overhead.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump made a surprise Thanksgiving visit to U.S. troops in Afghanistan on Thursday and said he believed Taliban insurgents would agree to a ceasefire in America's longest war.

 

Trump met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and served turkey to some U.S. troops before sitting down to eat Thanksgiving dinner with them. He chatted and had his picture taken with some of the U.S. forces deployed there.

 

"What a great job you do. It's an honour to be here," he said.

 

RARE WAR ZONE VISIT

It was only the second trip to a war zone by a U.S. president who never served in the military and has often derided U.S. engagement in foreign conflicts as costly blunders. He travelled to Iraq in 2018 for a Christmas holiday visit with troops.

 

Trump was greeted upon his arrival by U.S. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Milley said on Wednesday that a successful outcome from peace talks on ending the 18-year war in Afghanistan could happen in the "near term."

 

Trump has wanted to end U.S. involvement in Afghanistan since his days as a presidential candidate.

 

But talks between the Taliban and the United States collapsed in September after Trump called off a planned meeting with Taliban leaders at the U.S. Camp David presidential retreat, citing a surge in Taliban violence.

 

The U.S. military says it has ramped up strikes and raids on the Taliban since then, in a bid to pressure the insurgents back to the negotiating table.

Hopes for peace rose earlier this month, when the Taliban released American and Australian hostages.

 

But Ghani underscored the need for a halt in the fighting, saying on Twitter after meeting Trump: "If the Taliban are sincere in their commitment to reaching a peace deal, they must accept a ceasefire."

 

TRUMP EYES DEAL 'OR TOTAL VICTORY'

There are currently about 13,000 U.S. forces as well as thousands of other NATO troops in Afghanistan, 18 years after an invasion by a U.S.-led coalition following the Sept. 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks on the United States.

 

About 2,400 U.S. service members have been killed in the course of the Afghan conflict.

 

A draft accord agreed in September would have thousands of American troops withdrawn in exchange for guarantees that Afghanistan would not be used as a base for militant attacks on the United States or its allies.

 

Still, many U.S. officials doubt the Taliban could be relied upon to prevent al Qaeda from again plotting attacks against the United States from Afghan soil.

 

The U.S. military has said it can go down to 8,600 troops and still carry out an essential counter-terrorism mission in a country where both al Qaeda and Islamic State fighters would continue to pose a threat even after any Taliban peace deal.

 

Trump acknowledged U.S. troop levels were "substantially" coming down but did not provide a specific number.

 

At the same time, however, Trump suggested he was willing to have U.S. forces stay in Afghanistan for the long-term, if needed.

 

"We're going to stay until such time as we have a deal or we have total victory. And they want to make a deal very badly," Trump said.

 

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Idrees Ali; Writing by Phil Stewart; Editing by Alistair Bell and Daniel Wallis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-11-29

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[Tug]

Oh please keep him it would be a truly thankful thanksgiving if you did

[TopDeadSenter]

Amazing the energy this guy has. What love he has for American troops, this will be a real morale booster for them after the dreadful PR this week from snowflake administrators punishing good soldiers for gallows humor on the battlefield.

 I was wondering, is Trump the only American POTUS ever to not invade sovereign nations overseas? There must surely be some prize awaiting him for his maturity and restraint?

[pegman]

2 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Amazing the energy this guy has. What love he has for American troops, this will be a real morale booster for them after the dreadful PR this week from snowflake administrators punishing good soldiers for gallows humor on the battlefield.

 I was wondering, is Trump the only American POTUS ever to not invade sovereign nations overseas? There must surely be some prize awaiting him for his maturity and restraint?

It's counterintuitive how these military people look up to a known draft dodger.  Trump's waste of tax payer funds greasing the military industrial complex seems to have purchased there  allegiance. 

[scorecard]

18 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

One man's draft dodger is another man's pacifist. I hate to remind you, but peace is still good. And invading sovereign nations overseas and causing mass death and destruction is still bad. 

 Once again, kudos to Trump for supporting the troops. Hope they finish Obama and Bush's overseas folly and come home soon and safe.

And what evidence is there that this clown is / was a pacifist? None!

 

It would be more honest to note that quite a few soldiers (many / most countries) go into battle but at a later time become pacifists. I know, I am one of them, today I can't touch rifles and guns, I wish all weapons big and small would be destroyed along with the factories that produce them and the folks who make big money from war equipment shamed. Plus laws which outlaw war etc., and which push countries / the world towards peaceful discussion and coexistence. A tall order but no harm in dreaming. 

 

 

[Boon Mee]

Again, Trump does something positive for the troops and encourages peace with the Taliban and people still want to bash him just for existing. 

 

???? Sad... 

[Emdog]

It was a smart move (accidents happen). Saves loss of face regarding who would or would not show up for Thanksgiving dinner at White House.... Imagine if your cranky uncle was pres.... "Uh, I'm going to be busy serving at a soup kitchen..."

[Langsuan Man]

Smart political move ONLY

 

Too bad it is two years late and took an impeachment inquiry and the firing the Secretary of the Navy for his minions to plan a photo op

 

It's still all about him.......

[pegman]

2 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

One man's draft dodger is another man's pacifist. I hate to remind you, but peace is still good. And invading sovereign nations overseas and causing mass death and destruction is still bad. 

 Once again, kudos to Trump for supporting the troops. Hope they finish Obama and Bush's overseas folly and come home soon and safe.

I hope so too. Maybe close a bunch of those 800 military bases on foreign soil. As for pacifists, I worked with a few of them that took refuge in my country during the Vietnam War era, Trump has nothing in common with those men.

[Cryingdick]

3 hours ago, pegman said:

It's counterintuitive how these military people look up to a known draft dodger.  Trump's waste of tax payer funds greasing the military industrial complex seems to have purchased there  allegiance. 

 

It's counter intuitive that people who eventually want to succeed become democrats.

[zydeco]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

"We say it has to be a ceasefire and they didn't want to do a ceasefire and now they want to do a ceasefire, I believe. It will probably work out that way."

Articulate as usual, I see.

[metisdead]

Some troll posts have been removed. 

[earlinclaifornia]

On 11/29/2019 at 8:13 AM, Boon Mee said:

Again, Trump does something positive for the troops and encourages peace with the Taliban and people still want to bash him just for existing. 

 

???? Sad... 

He has brought the bashing on all by himself. There is good reasons his approval has never or ever will be positive. Truth hurts.

[spidermike007]

After the amount of disrespect Trump has shown his generals, his former chief of staff, his intelligence advisors and others, one has to assume most people in the armed forces have little to no respect for the man. Not to mention serious blunders like Syria, and his complete inability to negotiate with adversaries like North Korea and China and the Taliban.

 

I wonder if he got heckled much on the visit. Or if the soldiers were just tamping it down in order to show a modicum of respect?

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, spidermike007 said:

After the amount of disrespect Trump has shown his generals, his former chief of staff, his intelligence advisors and others, one has to assume most people in the armed forces have little to no respect for the man. Not to mention serious blunders like Syria, and his complete inability to negotiate with adversaries like North Korea and China and the Taliban.

After reversing the sacking of the Seals, I'm totally convinced he has the total support of all the real troops.

But maybe not the backing of a few politically appointed snowflake generals.

[TopDeadSenter]

8 minutes ago, earlinclaifornia said:

He has brought the bashing on all by himself. There is good reasons his approval has never or ever will be positive. Truth hurts.

Did you ever consider that much of what Trump does is designed to make his unhinged detractors even more unhinged? I see he sent a fake motorcade to his golf course which caused the left to meltdown on social media bashing him for playing golf when he should be doing something productive. And Newsweek had a good bash, luckily Trump jr caught a screenshot and posted on his twitter account(image posted below). Trump played them like fools.

Trump 2 haters 0

[Scott]

An off-topic post violating Fair Use policy has been removed along with replies.  

 

[sirineou]

I am surprised the doctors allowed him to travel, what bone spurs and all.

[RJRS1301]

I rarely feel there is anything within the current Trump administration to compliment, but going to see the troops and hoping that a ceasefire can be achieved, (not by Trump of course,but by the skilled negotiators), is a positive. 
 

[RJRS1301]

20 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Did you ever consider that much of what Trump does is designed to make his unhinged detractors even more unhinged? I see he sent a fake motorcade to his golf course which caused the left to meltdown on social media bashing him for playing golf when he should be doing something productive. And Newsweek had a good bash, luckily Trump jr caught a screenshot and posted on his twitter account(image posted below). Trump played them like fools.

Trump 2 haters 0

I doubt it would have been Trumps idea, more likely a ploy by security to allow him fly out undetected for safety reasons

[bendejo]

What has become of the well-worn piece of Republican bravado "we don't negotiate with terrorists"  ?   They sure like to sing that one in unison when a Dem is in the WH.

 

On the other hand "Talks?  What talks?"

Quote

The Taliban seemed surprised by Mr. Trump’s declaration. While the group’s negotiators have held informal meetings with United States diplomats in recent weeks about ways to go back to the table, on Friday their leaders said their original position on a cease-fire had not changed.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/29/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-peace-talks-ghani-trump.html

 

Coming up on this week's "Apprentice: The White House" : "I never said any such thing, fake news!"

 

 

[spidermike007]

3 hours ago, bendejo said:

What has become of the well-worn piece of Republican bravado "we don't negotiate with terrorists"  ?   They sure like to sing that one in unison when a Dem is in the WH.

 

On the other hand "Talks?  What talks?"

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/29/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-peace-talks-ghani-trump.html

 

Coming up on this week's "Apprentice: The White House" : "I never said any such thing, fake news!"

 

 

On a daily basis, Trump just makes this stuff up. Whatever he thinks will please his base, or in this case, the troops, he just says it, and assumes a percentage of the people will buy his BS. He is not a particularly intelligent man, but he is brilliant when it comes to the con, deflection, lies, and creating a fake narrative. He has been doing that his whole life. Facts must never get in the way. As his boy recently said, "truth is not truth".