US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has backtracked on comments suggesting troop reduction in Afghanistan before 2020 US election, saying “there is no deadline” for the end of the American mission there.
Pompeo said that the media misinterpreted his earlier comments when asked if US would reduce its troops in Afghanistan before next US presidential election.
“They got it wrong,” he said. “The president has been very direct about his expectations that we will reduce our operational footprint on the ground in Afghanistan just as quickly as we can get there.”
“I hope they’re out not only before the next election, but before we land today, Pompeo told reporters travelling with him to Thailand.
Earlier, at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., Pompeo was asked “before the next presidential election in the United States, would you expect we reduce our troops in Afghanistan?”
He replied saying “That’s my directive from the president of the United States. He’s been unambiguous. End the endless wars, draw down, reduce.”
He also added that “it’s not only my expectation, it would be job enhancing.”
“We will have an orderly plan for how we’re going to maintain our counter-terrorism posture in the region,” he said.
“There’s really not much news here other than as each day goes by, we’re getting closer to getting an understanding from all the parties in Afghanistan about how we would deliver this better outcome…”
“That’s the mission the president has laid out, and we’re working our way there. I hope in the next handful of weeks we’ll have significant progress we can announce.”
