President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States could win Afghanistan in a matter of days but it would result in death of millions of people.
“We could win that war very easily. I could win that war in a week if I wanted to, but I am not looking to kill 10 million people. Okay. Many of them would be innocent people,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Trump had made a similar comment last month about US ability to win Afghanistan war through mass killings, but he specified that this would not involve nuclear weapons.
“I am talking totally conventional,” Trump said.
Trump said that the US had made a lot of progress in Afghanistan. “We are talking.”
He said that the US was reducing its involvement in Afghanistan.
“We have been there for 19 years. We are really serving as policemen. We could win Afghanistan in two days or three days or four days if we wanted, but I am not looking to kill 10 million people,” Trump said.
In his previous comments about 10 million casualties, Trump had also added that the US could wipe Afghanistan “off the face off the Earth.”
The remarks drew a stiff response from Afghanistan’s presidential palace.
“The Afghan nation has not and will never allow any foreign power to determine its fate,” the palace had said.
