Illustrative photo of former Taliban fighters relinquishing their rifles to Afghan government officials in Ghor, Afghanistan, May 2013 (photo credit: Joe Painter/US Department of Defense)
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump Monday left the door open to an eventual political deal with the Taliban, in an address on America’s news strategy in the 16-year Afghan conflict.
“Someday, after an effective military effort, perhaps it will be possible to have a political settlement that includes elements of the Taliban in Afghanistan,” he said.
“But nobody knows if or when that will ever happen,” he added, before vowing that “America will continue its support for the Afghan government and military as they confront the Taliban in the field.”
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump’s decision to pressure Pakistan and step up military operations in Afghanistan could help US diplomats build towards a political solution.
US President Donald Trump speaks at Fort Myer in Arlington Virginia, August 21, 2017, during a Presidential Address to the Nation about a strategy he believes will best position the US to eventually declare victory in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
“Our new strategy breaks from previous approaches that set artificial calendar-based deadlines,” said Tillerson, in a statement issued after he attended Trump’s speech.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories
“We are making clear to the Taliban that they will not win on the battlefield. The Taliban has a path to peace and political legitimacy through a negotiated political settlement to end the war,” Tillerson added. “We stand ready to support peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban without preconditions. “We look to the international community, particularly Afghanistan’s neighbors, to join us in supporting an Afghan peace process.”
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
