US President Donald Trump has claimed that he could have won the war in Afghanistan within three weeks, criticising previous American presidents for failing to pursue victory during the country’s longest military conflict.

Speaking at a midterm election campaign rally in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday, Trump said successive US administrations had failed to fight wars with the clear objective of winning.

“Afghanistan, years and years. Then, we never fight to win. We don’t fight to win. We fight to tie,” Trump said, referring to the US military involvement in Afghanistan.

He claimed he could have brought the war to an end within a few weeks, saying: “I could have won that war in three weeks.”

Trump also made a similar claim about the Vietnam War, saying he could have won it in one week.

The United States launched its military campaign in Afghanistan in October 2001, following the September 11 attacks. The conflict continued for nearly 20 years before US forces completed their withdrawal in August 2021.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres says journalists around the world continue to pay a heavy price for telling the truth, calling for justice and accountability for crimes committed against media workers.

In a message marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2, Guterres warned that targeting journalists and silencing their reporting deprives the public of access to information and makes everyone a victim.

“When journalists are targeted and their reporting is extinguished, it makes victims of us all,” he said, stressing the need for justice.

Pakistan has welcomed a US offer to facilitate dialogue between Islamabad and Kabul, expressing readiness to support diplomatic efforts by Washington and other friendly countries to ease tensions between the two neighbouring nations.

According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, meaningful negotiations with Afghanistan would require clear commitments and practical, verifiable action by the Islamic Emirate authorities against militant groups allegedly operating from Afghan territory.

The Pakistani official specifically referred to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other armed groups, describing action against them as a key condition for progress in bilateral talks.

However, the Islamic Emirate has rejected Pakistan’s allegations, maintaining that no armed groups are present in Afghanistan and that Afghan territory is not being used against any country, particularly neighbouring states.

The developments follow remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who expressed Washington’s willingness to play a constructive role in reducing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Pakistan says it remains committed to constructive engagement with Kabul but insists that dialogue must address Islamabad’s security concerns.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate maintains that Pakistan’s security challenges are internal matters and that responsibility for resolving them should not be placed on Afghanistan.