Angry, US cuts $1 billion in aid to Afghanistan
(Baonghean.vn) - The US will cut $1 billion in aid to Afghanistan because the country cannot form a unity government to negotiate with the Taliban. This is the statement that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made this morning after a surprise visit to Afghanistan.
Mr. Mike Pompeo stayed in Afghanistan for exactly nine hours, during which time he had separate meetings with President Ashraf Ghani and his political rival Abdullah Abdullah, who has formed a parallel government, before having a joint meeting with both leaders.
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| US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani (center) and Vice President Amrullah Saleh in Kabul on March 23 (EPA). |
Mr. Mike Pompeo commented that Mr. Ashraf Ghani and Mr. Abdullah Abdullah were unable to put aside their differences to form a unity government.
“The United States is disappointed in the actions of Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah. Their actions are not only significant for Afghanistan, but also have a significant impact on American interests. Their failure has harmed the US-Afghan relationship and, sadly, harmed the Afghans, Americans, and allies who have sacrificed their lives and treasure to try to bring a bright future to their country,” Mr. Mike Pompeo clearly expressed his anger when making such a statement.
Mike Pompeo said the US will cut $1 billion in aid to Afghanistan in 2021, while declaring that the intransigence of two Afghan leaders will not delay the US troop withdrawal plan under the agreement signed with the Taliban.
After leaving Afghanistan, Mr. Mike Pompeo met with the Taliban's chief negotiator in Qatar. After discussing with the Taliban representative, Mr. Mike Pompeo commented that the problem in the peace negotiation process now lies entirely with the Afghan government, not the Taliban. Mr. Mike Pompeo said that the Taliban is fulfilling its commitments to reduce violence, so he hopes the Afghan government will choose the appropriate action so that the US does not have to resort to cutting aid.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's surprise visit to Afghanistan amid the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic shows that the US sees dangerous signs in the peace process in Afghanistan, threatening the historic agreement that the US signed with the Taliban.
Mr. Mike Pompeo is the top US diplomat and a close advisor to President Donald Trump, so he is expected to have more influence on the Afghan leadership than other mediators. In recent weeks, US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zaymal Khalilzad has also tried to reach a compromise between the parties but has not achieved any results.