Obama to Ghani: US backs peace talks with Taliban
US President Barack Obama has discussed Taliban peace talks with his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani, expressing Washington’s support for the reconciliation process.
Obama’s remarks came after officials from Afghanistan, the United States, Pakistan and China said last month that the Afghan government and Taliban were expected to have a meeting for direct peace talks by the first week of March in the Pakistani capital.
During a video conference with Ghani on Friday, Obama noted the Afghan president’s role in "working with Afghanistan's neighbors to deepen regional cooperation and advance the reconciliation process with the Taliban," the White House said in a statement.
He also "underscored US support for a peace process that reduces violence and ensures lasting stability in Afghanistan and the region," the White House added.
US Vice President Joe Biden and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah also attended the video conference.
The Office of the Afghan president, ARG Presidential Palace, said that Obama also hailed the Afghan defense forces for performing well and being courageous in fight against terrorism.
“President Barack Obama told President Ghani that he is impressed by Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) performance and courage to fight terrorism,” the ARG Palace said.
According to a Pentagon report released in January, the security situation in Afghanistan deteriorated in the second half of 2015, with Taliban militants staging more attacks and inflicting far more casualties on Afghan forces.
Afghanistan is gripped by insecurity more than 14 years after the United States and its allies attacked the country as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. Although the 2001 attack overthrew the Taliban, many areas across Afghanistan still face violence and insecurity.
Despite a previous pledge to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by the end of his presidency, Obama announced plans to keep 5,500 of the troops in the country when he leaves office in 2017.
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