Fri. Mar 29th, 2024
mike pompeo

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said on Friday the United States was not in Afghanistan to reconstruct the country or teach Afghanis how to handle their women.

According to Dawn news reports, Pompeo’s remarks have come during a two-day congressional hearing on the US state department‘s proposal of a budget this week.

When Senator Jeanne Shaheen asked Pompeo to ensure that the deal between the Taliban and the US protects the rights of the Afghan women, Pompeo said, “Remember, the Afghans will ultimately decide.”

He added, “I hope they (Afghan women) will make their voices heard … I hope the women of Afghanistan will demand that of their leadership.

He continued, “We want every woman’s voice to be heard … I hope they’ll all do that.”

During the two-day conference, Pompeo explained the motive behind rounds of talks with the Afghan Taliban. Washington was talking to the Taliban as they hold control over “significant resources” in the war-torn Afghan country, said Pompeo.

The US special envoy for Afghan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has already held several rounds of Afghan peace talks with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, and was also preparing for another renewed round of talks, including the Afghan government as the Taliban agreed.

Pompeo said, “With respect to why we are talking to the Taliban, they control a significant amount of resources. And to get the reconciliation we need, to take down the violence level, the Taliban are going to have a say.”

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