Trump: US In Very Strong Negotiations in Afghanistan

Says talks 'probably' won't be successful

Jason Ditz 

Posted onNovember 22, 2018CategoriesNewsTagsAfghanistan, Trump

In rare comments on peace talks in Afghanistan, President Trump reported that “very strong” negotiations are ongoing in the country. He said the people of Afghanistan “are tired of fighting,” and the goal is to end the war.

That said, Trump appeared to try to downplay the effort, saying that the negotiations “probably” are not going to be successful, but “who knows?” He did not elaborate further. Special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has expressed hopes for a peace deal by April of next year, though the Taliban said no agreements are yet in place.

Less important than what President Trump said was that he addressed the matter at all. The Afghan War has tended not to be a popular topic for him to address. This may suggest a growing interest within the administration to tackle the protracted war.

This could mean increased Trump interest in making a peace deal, as he’s been known in the past to be keen to get out of Afghanistan. If he’s actually interested in doing so, that could greatly increase the chances of it happening.

https://news.antiwar.com/2018/11/22/trump-us-in-very-strong-negotiations-in-afghanistan/