US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the Taliban could “possibly” overrun the Afghan government after US troops leave the country.
“It’s not supposed to happen that way, but it possibly will,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Trump criticized US’s long military presence in Afghanistan and said that the pullout should have happened long ago.
“Well, you know, eventually countries have to take care of themselves,” Trump said.“We can’t be there for the next — another 20 years,”
“This should have been done a long time ago. But you can only hold somebody’s hand for so long. We have to get back to running our country too. So you understand that,” Trump said.
Asked if the Afghan government will be capable, in the long term, of defending itself, Trump said he doesn’t know.
“I’ll let you know later. You know, we’ll have to see what happens. I hope they are, but I don’t know. I can’t answer that question,” Trump said.
The US and the Taliban signed a peace deal last week, which requires the US to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan in 14 months.
NBC News reported on Saturday that the US government has collected persuasive intelligence that the Taliban do not intend to honor the promises they have made in the deal.
“They have no intention of abiding by their agreement,” an unidentified US official was quoted as saying by NBC News.
A Taliban member quoted by the media outlet said: “We will ask the Afghan leadership and other political factions that since the US has accepted us and recognized our position, it is time for you to accept us and give us the country peacefully.”
