United States voices optimism about reaching an accord to end the war in Afghanistan as a partial truce holds with the Taliban
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to reporters during a briefing at the State Department in Washington, US, February 25, 2020.
The Taliban would then open negotiations with the internationally recognized government in Kabul, which the Islamist militants have refused to recognise. In a statement Tuesday, the State Department said only that it "notes" the election announcement. It said Ghani had agreed to postpone his inauguration which was scheduled on Thursday.Abdullah's spokesman, Fraidoon Khwazoon, told AFP that both Abdullah and Ghani were delaying swearing-in ceremonies planned for Thursday by two weeks.
"We want to make sure that... all the people who have an interest — whether that's because of corruption of because of some ideological view — cannot spoil what it is that the Afghan people so richly deserve," he said. The key US demand remains the same from 2001 — that the Taliban not allow Afghan territory to be used by Al-Qaeda, or now Islamic State extremists, to plan international attacks.
"We're seeing what we would call a downward trend in violence, which is great for the Afghan people. It's great for the country of Afghanistan," he said in a statement.
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