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A2 UP FRONT
Monday 9 SepteMber 2019
Pompeo: Taliban ‘overreached’ in attack that killed American

Continued from Front

Trump tweeted on Satur-
day night that he had can-
celed a secret meeting,
planned for Sunday at the
presidential retreat in Mary-
land, with Taliban and Af-
ghan leaders, and called
off talks with the insurgent
group. He cited the Thurs-
day attack.
Pompeo, who was booked
on five Sunday news shows,
said the United States and
the Taliban were close to a
deal.
“And then the Taliban
failed to live up to a series
of commitments that they
had made, and when that
happened President Trump
said, ‘I’m not going to take Afghan Presidential Spokesman Sediq Seddqi gives a press conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019.
that deal. I’m not going to Associated Press
work with someone that servers, who pointed out early to withdraw Ameri- many more decades are ernment” on the country’s
can’t deliver on their com- that both the Taliban and can forces. “Unbeknownst they willing to fight?” future — talks that were
mitments.’” U.S. and Afghan forces to almost everyone, the It remains unclear if the meant to quickly follow a
He said Trump “broke it off,” have increased fighting in major Taliban leaders and, U.S.-Taliban talks are over U.S.-Taliban deal.
because he did not want recent months to strength- separately, the President of or only paused. Trump said The Taliban’s new state-
to “reward that behavior,” en their position in the talks. Afghanistan, were going to he called off the peace ne- ment said those talks had
referring to Thursday’s at- Civilians have suffered secretly meet with me at gotiations after the bomb- been meant to start on
tack. The secretary of state more than anyone in what Camp David on Sunday,” ing, but Khalilzad, the U.S. Sept. 23, five days before
said Trump “broke it off” be- was the world’s deadliest Trump tweeted. envoy negotiating with the Afghanistan’s presidential
cause he did not want to war in 2018. “They were coming to the Taliban, was meeting with election.
“reward that behavior,” re- Trump’s announcement United States tonight. Un- leaders of the insurgent Afghan presidential
ferring to Thursday’s attack. Saturday evening was sur- fortunately, in order to build group in Doha, Qatar, on spokesman Sediq Sediqqi
Pompeo acknowledged prising because it would false leverage, they admit- both Thursday and Friday. confirmed that Afghan
that the attack was not mean that the president ted to an attack in Kabul The Afghan government, President Ashraf Ghani had
the first during the period was ready to host mem- that killed one of our great sidelined from the negotia- wanted to go to Washing-
in which peace talks have bers of the Taliban just days great soldiers, and 11 other tions, seemed hesitant to ton to speak with Trump
been held. He also said the before the anniversary of people. I immediately can- directly respond to Trump’s about his concerns “but
U.S. has been attacking the the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. celled the meeting and announcement, say- I am not able to go into
Taliban throughout this pe- More than 2,400 U.S. troops called off peace negotia- ing simply that “we have the details of the particular
riod. have been killed since the tions,” he wrote. always said that a real trip.” The details of the U.S.-
Pompeo said more than U.S. invaded Afghanistan On Thursday, a Taliban car peace will come when the Taliban deal that had been
1,000 Taliban have been to go after the Taliban, bomb exploded and killed Taliban stop killing Afghans shown to Ghani last week
killed in battle over the past which were harboring al- an American soldier, a Ro- and implement a ceasefire “were not convincing,”
10 days alone. Qaida leaders responsible manian service member and start direct negotia- Sediqqi said. “Let’s see the
The Taliban on Sunday said for 9/11. and 10 civilians in a busy tions with the Afghan gov- future.”q
that Trump’s abrupt deci- Canceling the talks also diplomatic area near the
sion to cancel the meet goes against Trump’s U.S. Embassy in Kabul. The
with the group’s leaders pledge to withdraw the bombing was one of many
on a “finalized” deal to remaining 13,000 to 14,000 attacks by the Taliban in re-
end America’s longest war U.S. troops from Afghani- cent days. Sgt. 1st Class Elis
would “damage the cred- stan and end U.S. involve- A. Barreto Ortiz, 34, was the
ibility” of the U.S., but they ment in a conflict that is fourth U.S. service member
believe the U.S. will return closing in on 18 years. killed in the past two weeks
to negotiations. Zalmay Khalilzad, the in Afghanistan.
“Both sides were prepar- Trump administration’s “What kind of people
ing for the announcement peace envoy in talks with would kill so many in order
and signing of the agree- Taliban leaders for months, to seemingly strengthen
ment,” the insurgent group said less than a week ago their bargaining position?
said in a statement, saying that a deal had been They didn’t, they only made
they had been invited in reached “in principle” with it worse!” Trump tweeted.
late August but wanted to the group and that it only “If they cannot agree to a
wait until the deal’s sign- needed Trump’s approval. ceasefire during these very
ing. Now, “we will continue The president, however, important peace talks, and
the ongoing jihad (against came under increased would even kill 12 innocent
foreign occupation) and pressure from the Afghan people, then they prob-
we firmly believe in the ulti- government and some U.S. ably don’t have the power
mate victory.” lawmakers who mistrust the to negotiate a meaningful
Trump’s move puzzled ob- Taliban and think it’s too agreement anyway. How