Latest News
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.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate, and Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, discussed the state of cooperation between Afghanistan and the United Nations, humanitarian assistance, and the needs of returning Afghan migrants.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two sides emphasized the importance of joint and coordinated efforts for the sustainable reintegration of returnees.
Afghanistan’s needs in the areas of climate change and water, increased cooperation in these sectors, and the regional situation were also among the topics discussed.
The two sides also exchanged views on ways to identify new opportunities within the framework of the Doha Process.
A delegation from the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), led by Director General Sayed Karim Hashemi, attended the Third Turkmenistan Investment Forum in Ashgabat on October 1, 2026.
The forum was held at the invitation of Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Economy and brought together official delegations, economic and commercial institutions, traders, and investors from several countries.
According to the ACCI, participants discussed investment opportunities, economic potential, and ways to expand trade and economic cooperation among participating countries.
The chamber said its delegation used the forum to present Afghanistan’s economic potential, explore investment opportunities, expand export markets, and strengthen trade and economic ties with Turkmenistan and other countries in the region.
On the sidelines of the forum, Hashemi invited the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan to visit Afghanistan at the head of a trade and economic delegation.
The invitation was welcomed, and the two sides agreed that the Turkmenistan chamber chief would visit Afghanistan in November 2026.
Latest News
Iran’s Qaani: We must strengthen the belt of defense and dignity from Afghanistan to Yemen
Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, has called for strengthening what he described as a “belt of defense, independence and dignity” from Afghanistan to Yemen.
Speaking at a ceremony in Tehran on Thursday, Qaani said: “We must strengthen the belt of defense, independence and dignity from Afghanistan to Yemen, and from Iran to Gaza and Lebanon, across the Muslim world.”
He also claimed that the so-called “resistance axis” continues on its path despite the killing of a number of its commanders.
The Quds Force commander further claimed that the United States had been expelled from Iraq despite its extensive capabilities and equipment, and had suffered a defeat against Iran.
Qaani added that the U.S. had believed it could force Iran to surrender within four days or, at most, two weeks, but instead faced circumstances that were different from its calculations.
Tahawol: Escalation of internal political crisis in Pakistan discussed
Saar: Continuation of crisis in the Middle East discussed
Muttaqi and DiCarlo discuss Afghanistan-UN cooperation
Afghanistan chamber delegation attends Turkmenistan Investment Forum
Afghan, Russian health ministers discuss cooperation
Saudi energy group signs major Afghanistan deals covering gas exploration and pipeline plans
Khalilzad: Afghanistan ready to attract major investment
Khyber Chamber demands reopening of Torkham crossing
Messi returns to Inter Miami after Argentina retirement
Imam Abu Hanifa exhibition to draw exhibitors from more than 20 countries
Tahawol: Escalation of internal political crisis in Pakistan discussed
Saar: Continuation of crisis in the Middle East discussed
Tawsia: Review of three key economic developments in Afghanistan
Tahawol: Pakistan’s airstrikes on civilians in Afghanistan discussed
Tahawol: Improvement in Afghanistan-China relations discussed
-
Regional5 days agoUS, Iran separately talk with mediators in latest bid to end war
-
Regional4 days agoUS imposes sanctions on 13 tied to Iran weapons procurement
-
Latest News2 days agoFour members of one family killed in Helmand in Pakistan airstrike
-
Sport4 days agoIstiqlal Kabul beat Khurasan Faryab 2-0 with late goals
-
Sport4 days agoAfghanistan Champions League: Toofan Herat and Aino Mina Kandahar draw 1-1
-
Latest News5 days agoUS Afghanistan War Commission meets Asim Munir over Pakistan’s role in conflict
-
Climate Change5 days agoAfghanistan on climate front line as Kabul faces groundwater warning
-
Business4 days agoRussia accuses West of double standards over deportation of Afghans