American troops will stay in Afghanistan for several more years, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said on Sunday.
Milley said that the original reason why US went to Afghanistan was 9/11 attack.
“We went there in order to make sure that Afghanistan never again would be a safe haven for terrorists that would attack the United States,” Milley said. “That mission is not yet complete.”
He said that in order for that mission to be successful, the Afghan security forces have to sustain their own internal security to prevent terrorists from using their territory to attack other countries especially the US.
“That effort is ongoing. It has been ongoing for 18consecutive years. I suspect that to be ongoing into the future for several more years,” Milley said.
This comes as the Taliban demanded withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan in peace talks with the United States that were halted in September.
The group condemned Milley’s recent statement, saying it exposed the “conflicting policy” of the US.
