Saudi FM calls Indian, Pakistani counterparts to discuss developments    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia cracks down on fraudulent Hajj campaigns, urges pilgrims to use official channels    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    Literature Commission inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Muscat Book Fair    Saudi Minister of Culture holds talks with his Costa Rican counterpart in Jeddah    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Teenage girl killed in French school stabbing attack    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



US vows to coordinate with allies on any Afghanistan pullout
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 14 - 02 - 2019

Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan sought to reassure nervous NATO allies on Thursday that any potential US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan will be done in a coordinated fashion, which could calm European concern about a precipitous drawdown.
US officials have held several rounds of talks with the Taliban since last year, in what is widely seen as the most serious bid for peace in the 17-year war.
Both the insurgents and the United States hailed progress after the end of the last round of negotiations last month, although Western diplomats familiar with discussions say that many tough hurdles lie ahead.
Shanahan said he told his NATO counterparts that the US-led alliance would work together to increase what he called diplomatic leverage over the Taliban as the West seeks a political settlement.
"There will be no unilateral troop reduction, it will be coordinated," Shanahan told reporters following his first meeting of NATO defense ministers after his predecessor quit in December. "We came out of here much stronger and coordinated."
In his State of the Union address last week, President Donald Trump said progress in negotiations with the Taliban would allow a reduction in the approximately 14,000 US troops currently in Afghanistan and a renewed focus on counter terrorism.
Taliban negotiators will meet their US counterparts on Feb. 18 in Pakistan's capital Islamabad.
U.S. officials have told Reuters the military is planning what a withdrawal of about half of the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan would look like.
That has raised concerns about whether a smaller force would be able to support the Afghan military and whether other European armies that rely on American helicopters and other gear would pull out.
Concern was also fueled by Trump's abrupt announcement last year that he would withdraw US forces from Syria.
Despite public fatigue in Western countries about their involvement in the 17-year conflict, European governments including Germany are wary of withdrawing from Afghanistan before a peace deal with Taliban militants is reached.
Many fear seeing the country collapse and then having to send troops back in again to deal with a new threat.
US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad briefed NATO envoys on Monday about his push to agree a political settlement and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg promised the alliance would draw down its military presence together if a deal was agreed.
Shanahan echoed that.
"We work together, President Trump said it is an opportunity for peace ... so what we talked about was how do we double down in our support for an Afghan national defense and security forces to put even more pressure on the Taliban," he told reporters.
"I feel really good about our alignment I feel we are creating the diplomatic leverage that Ambassador Khalilzad needs."
The US troops in Afghanistan are part of a NATO-led mission known as Resolute Support, and a US counterterrorism mission largely directed against groups such as Daesh (the so-called IS) and Al-Qaeda.
Some 8,000 troops from 38 other countries are participating in Resolute Support. — Reuters


Clic here to read the story from its source.