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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.
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Justice Ministry: Protests of Islamic laws considered protests against Sharia
The Ministry of Justice announced on Wednesday that there is no article, clause, subsection, provision, or ruling in the legislative documents of the Islamic Emirate that is contrary to Islamic Sharia or lacks a Sharia-based source. Rather, these documents are fully in accordance with Islamic Sharia, and protesting against them is considered a protest against Sharia itself.
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Justice, such protests have no Sharia-based or scholarly foundation and are carried out, out of ignorance or deliberate disregard. Such actions are deemed a crime under Sharia, and those who object to these laws will be referred to judicial and legal bodies for prosecution, the statement read.
“The legislative documents of the Islamic Emirate are drafted and derived by multiple committees of qualified Afghan scholars at the level of each relevant ministry and department, the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, and the Office of the Leader of the Islamic Emirate, using the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (Peace Be Upon Him), and authoritative Hanafi jurisprudential texts,” the statement reads.
The Ministry of Justice further emphasized that the aforementioned legislative documents are repeatedly reviewed for compliance with Islamic Sharia and, after that, are submitted to the Leader of the Islamic Emirate for endorsement.
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Conference on Qatar’s mediation diplomacy held in Kabul
The Center of Strategic Studies at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has organized an academic conference titled “Mediation Diplomacy in Qatar’s Foreign Policy.”
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar’s Ambassador, Mirdef Al Qashouti, delivered a detailed and comprehensive presentation examining the role and importance of mediation diplomacy within Qatar’s foreign policy framework.
The conference was attended by a number of officials and staff members from various departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as researchers, professors, and students of international relations from universities across the country.
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Muttaqi holds talks with Turkmenistan FM on expanding regional cooperation
Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, held a video conference with Rashid Meredov, First Deputy Chair of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, to discuss expanding regional cooperation and future bilateral plans for this year.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi welcomed the positive momentum in relations between the two countries, noting that strengthened and substantive ties have led to the launch of practical work on the TAPI gas pipeline project along the Herat route. He added that railway and power transmission (TAP) projects are also close to implementation, reflecting the steady expansion of bilateral relations.
Rashid Meredov highlighted the long-standing and friendly relations between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, expressing satisfaction with the growing cooperation at various levels. He emphasized the need for close coordination in implementing joint economic projects, facilitating official visits by senior officials, and organizing upcoming bilateral initiatives.
The two foreign ministers concluded the talks by underscoring the importance of enhancing regional cooperation and dialogue, particularly along the Afghanistan–Central Asia corridor, describing such engagement as both significant and valuable.
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