U.S. media reports say President Donald Trump claimed he could end the nearly two-decade-old war in Afghanistan in a matter of days but that it would kill millions of people and wipe the country “off the face of the earth.”
President Trump reportedly made the remarks on July 22 at the White House during a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“I could win that war in a week. I just don’t want to kill 10 million people,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, according to the Associated Press (AP). “If I wanted to win that war, Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the earth. It would be gone. It would be over, literally, in 10 days.”
Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who sat in on the meeting, said, “Peace with honor and dignity in Afghanistan is only possible with the complete buy-in of Pakistan.”
“If the Taliban are denied sanctuary in Pakistan, this war will end quickly and on our terms,” Graham said, adding that he thinks Pakistan’s leaders are ready for change. “It is my hope that we can negotiate a free trade agreement between the United States and Pakistan, which would be of mutual economic benefit and an incentive to maintain stability in the region.”
“It’s the closest we’ve been to a peace deal. And I hope in the coming days we will be able to urge the Taliban to speak to the Afghan government and come to a political solution.” Khan told Trump, according to AP.
Trump’s casual comments about wiping Afghanistan off the map unsettled Afghans, who have fought against the Taliban alongside their U.S. and NATO partners for years.
The former Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal reacted to President Donald Trump’s remarks regarding wiping Afghanistan off the face of the earth, saying Genghis Khan and other invaders had same intentions.
Afghan news agency Khaama Press says that in a statement posted online, Zakhilwal said Genghis Khan and the invaders before and after him had a similar intention but they came and go. However, he said Afghanistan still shines as a start in the sky. Zakhilwal further added that the statement of Trump is a gift to those who welcomed and still welcome the test of all weapons on their villages including the test of Mother of All Bombs.
According to TOLONews news agency, Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for Afghan president, said Afghanistan will remain in the scene of the world politics with strength and glory.
Sediqi further added that the government of Afghanistan has sought explanation through diplomatic channels regarding the remarks of President Trump, considering the comprehensive bilateral ties between the two nations.
