US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not rule out reviving talks with the Taliban if they make a “significant commitment,” after President Trump cancelled a secret meeting with their leaders at his Camp David retreat.
Pompeo said Trump had not decided whether he would still withdraw US troops — but warned the Taliban of renewed military pressure if they keep up attacks.
“I hope it’s the case the Taliban will change their behaviour and recommit to things we’ve talking about. In the end, this will be resolved through a series of conversations,” Pompeo told ABC television program “This Week.”
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“We need a significant commitment,” Pompeo said of the Taliban in a separate interview with CNN when asked if the United States could restart negotiations.
“If the Taliban don’t behave, if they don’t deliver on the commitments they made to us for weeks and in some cases months, the president of the United States is not going to reduce the pressure,” he said. “We’re not going to reduce our support for the Afghan security forces that have fought so hard,” he said.
