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General Milley: US coordination with Taliban on strikes ‘possible'
WASHINGTON (AP) — Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it’s "possible" the United States will seek to coordinate with the Taliban on counterterrorism strikes in Afghanistan against Islamic State militants or others.Milley did not elaborate, and his comment Wednesday did not appear to suggest immediate plans to work with the Taliban. U.S. military commanders coordinated daily with Taliban commanders outside the Kabul airport over the past three weeks to facilitate the evacuation of more than 124,000 people. But that was a matter of convenience for both parties and not necessarily a sign that they will pursue, or even want, a regular relationship in the future. The U.S. military ousted the Taliban from power in the fall of 2001 and fought against them for the 19 years that followed. The extent and nature of a U.S.-Taliban relationship, now that the war is over, is one of the key issues to be worked out. The U.S. diplomatic presence in Kabul has been moved to Doha, Qatar. President Joe Biden has noted several times recently that the Taliban are avowed enemies of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan, suggesting a shared interest with the United States. Posted by: Besoeker 2021-09-04 |
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