Secretary of State Rex Tillerson praised the Trump administration’s new South Asia strategy for not implementing artificial deadlines despite the desire to end the 16-year war in Afghanistan.
“Our new strategy breaks from previous approaches that set artificial calendar-based deadlines. We are making clear to the Taliban that they will not win on the battlefield,” Tillerson said in a statement. “The Taliban has a path to peace and political legitimacy through a negotiated political settlement to end the war.”
Trump’s newly announced strategy includes using diplomacy with Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India as one way to stabilize the region.
Tillerson said the new path forward signals “clear support” for the Afghan people and the government’s fight against terrorist organizations.
“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,” Tillerson added. “We look to Pakistan to take decisive action against militant groups based in Pakistan that are a threat to the region.”
