US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent remarks on President Donald Trump's legacy in Afghanistan, especially the peace process, have sparked reactions in Kabul where senators and analysts said that while no American soldier has been killed over the last year, thousands of Afghan civilians and military personnel have lost their lives in violence.
Pompeo in a series of tweets on Saturday defended President Trump’s policy towards Afghanistan and said that previous administrations tried to talk to the Taliban and withdraw US forces from the country but added that only the Trump administration had succeeded.
“Every Administration since Bush 43 wanted to draw down US troops and forge peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. We did it. Don't just take my word for it,” Pompeo said.
He said that the US’s mission in Afghanistan was to combat Al-Qaeda and counter threats to the American homeland.
"Don't need tens of thousands of US troops on the ground to do that. We have partners: brave Afghans, NATO forces. We also have the ability to project power from afar,” said Pompeo.
He also lauded the talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
“No US servicemen have been killed in Afghanistan in almost a year, and Afghans are finally discussing peace and reconciliation among themselves," Pompeo said, calling it an "incredible progress."
“Besides the US, I congratulate the victory of the Taliban as well,” Senate Speaker Fazl Hadi Muslimyar said. “Meanwhile, I tell the Taliban 'congratulations to you, you have killed the sons of this soil, civil society activists and journalists who are reflecting the pains of the people.'”
The Presidential Palace said US soldiers were not killed in the last year because the Taliban focused on fighting against Afghans.
“The foreign forces casualties were zero because now the conflicts are led by the security and defense forces and the Taliban is fighting only against the people and the government of Afghanistan,” said Dawa Khan Minapal, a presidential spokesman.
This comes as, according to security sources, at least 20 provinces face clashes between the government forces and the Taliban every 24 hours. Sources said that at least 20 security force members lose their lives in the conflict every 24 hours.
“The Taliban used to say that they are fighting against infidels, but, today, they are not fighting against them and they have turned on their friends,” said Atiqullah Amarkhil, a former military official.
“It is good in terms of humanitarian concepts that Americans are not killed, but Afghans should also not be killed. They are also humans,” said Shukran Ghawsi, a Kabul resident.
The Trump administration has already started reducing the number of its service members in Afghanistan before President Trump leaves office.
“The presence of al-Qaeda fighters in the Taliban lines is widespread and it is still a serious threat against Afghanistan’s security,” said Fawad Aman, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.
A UN report from last year shows that at least 2,100 civilians were killed and more than 3,800 others were wounded in violence in Afghanistan in the first six months of 2020.