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America’s security is not hinged on the number of troops on the ground: Pompeo
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said earlier this week that the threat from terrorist attacks around the world does not emanate from Afghanistan alone.
Speaking to Fox News, Pompeo said: “The threat from terrorism around the world – from Islamic extremism, Islamic terrorism – is real. It doesn’t just emanate from Afghanistan.”
Asked about the drawdown of US troops in Afghanistan he said Washington would get all its soldiers home when the time is right.
He said in the interview that people should not “fall in the trap of thinking about America’s security related to the number of soldiers on the ground in any one place. We have the force posture right today.
“We’re going to keep it right. We’ll get our troops home when we can, and we’ll do the things we need to do.
“If Qasem Soleimani is a problem, we’ll go crush them. If Hamza bin Ladin presents a risk, we’ll take him out,” Pompeo said.
He also stated the outgoing-President Donald Trump has been very clear about the US protecting and securing America but added “we’re not going to have our young men and women in harm’s way when it doesn’t deliver real security benefits for the United States and for our allies.”
Pompeo also said Trump will still make the decision on whether to withdraw all troops – despite having said the numbers will reduce by next month from around 4,000 to 2,500.
He said the agreement the US signed with the Taliban in February talked about getting down to zero by May based on a set of conditions on the ground.
“That was what we’d agreed to. We have made some progress. We’ve had significant prisoner releases. We have violence levels that have reduced risks to Americans significantly over this time period since February of last year.” Pompeo stated.
He pointed out however that Afghanistan’s violence levels are still higher than they need to be.
“I was with the Afghan Government negotiators and with the Taliban negotiators just this past weekend in Dota, Qatar.
“I talked to each of them about the need to continue to conduct the negotiations which will lead to a unified, independent Afghanistan that protects all the gains that have been made over these past years, and the fact that they need to take violence levels down even further, and that the Taliban need to honor the commitment they made to make sure that there’s not a terror attack that takes place from Afghan soil.
“Those are the parts of the negotiation that continue. There is still work to do, but we’re headed in the right direction.
“We are safer here in the United States today as a result of the things the Trump administration has done not only in Afghanistan but throughout that region,” he said.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has urged spokespersons of all Emirate institutions to intensify efforts aimed at strengthening information dissemination and expanding cooperation with media outlets.
Speaking at a coordination meeting held on Tuesday at the Government Information and Media Center, Mujahid praised the efforts of institutional spokespersons in sharing information and described their role in improving the effectiveness and coordination of public communication as important.
He stressed the need for continued cooperation and called on spokespersons to play a more active role in strengthening government-related content through media platforms and the Parmakhtag website.
Mujahid also highlighted the importance of media in delivering information, raising public awareness, reflecting realities, and strengthening public trust in the government.
Noorullah Noori, Minister of Borders, Ethnic and Tribal Affairs, says that objectives such as establishing an Islamic system, ensuring security, and achieving national unity in Afghanistan have now been fulfilled, and has called on opponents of the Islamic Emirate living abroad to return to the country.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Noori addressed opponents of the Islamic Emirate, saying: “If your jihad against the Russians was aimed at establishing an Islamic system, ensuring security, and achieving national unity, then today these objectives have been achieved in Afghanistan. Return to your country and present whatever suggestions or opinions you may have.”
Noori added that opponents of the Islamic Emirate based in Turkey, Pakistan, and several other countries should stop claiming that they seek to “liberate Afghanistan,” because Afghanistan is now a free country. He warned that no one will be given permission or the opportunity to cause bloodshed in the country again.
He urged them to come back to Afghanistan and present any proposals or demands they may have regarding the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
He said: “What is your voice, your message, and your demand? Our country has regained its freedom from occupiers, and today there is not a single foreign soldier present anywhere in Afghanistan. So, from whom do you intend to liberate the country? Return to your homeland and put forward your proposals. The people of Afghanistan have learned from the past. Today, not even a single dead body is seen across Afghanistan, and Afghans neither expect to see coffins again, nor will anyone be given the opportunity to cause bloodshed in this country once more.”
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Khalilzad urges Pakistan to heed UN call for dialogue with Afghanistan
His comments came after Guterres urged all parties to protect civilians and comply with international humanitarian law following Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces.
Former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has called on Pakistan to respond positively to the United Nations’ appeal for dialogue, saying Afghanistan has consistently sought a diplomatic solution to tensions between the two neighboring countries.
In a post on X, Khalilzad referred to UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call for Afghanistan and Pakistan to end hostilities and resolve their differences through diplomacy.
He said Afghanistan has repeatedly made clear that it prefers dialogue over conflict and has presented several proposals aimed at reducing tensions.
“Will the Pakistani establishment listen to the UN Secretary-General? I hope so, but I am not optimistic,” Khalilzad wrote.
His comments came a day after Guterres urged all parties to protect civilians and comply with international humanitarian law following Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Kunar.
Speaking on behalf of the UN chief, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Secretary-General was deeply concerned by the escalation and called on both countries to settle their differences through diplomatic means.
“We continue to call on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and stress that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times,” Dujarric said.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said numerous civilians were killed and injured in the overnight airstrikes, while humanitarian agencies warned that the attacks had also displaced families and created urgent humanitarian needs.
According to Afghan authorities, at least 36 civilians were killed and more than 160 others wounded in the strikes, with women, children and elderly people among the casualties.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan condemned the strikes as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and airspace, describing them as a “crime” and a “cowardly act.”
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have deteriorated sharply in recent months over Durand Line security and militancy, with both sides accusing each other of failing to prevent cross-frontier attacks. The latest exchange has heightened concerns of further escalation, prompting renewed international calls for restraint and dialogue.
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