Gulbuddin Hekmatyar... who used to be known in intelligence circles as
The Most Evil Man in the Worldbut who now seems merely run-of-the-mill evil...
rejected any increase in the United States (US) troops in Afghanistan on Saturday as he said elections were the only way to bring stability to the war-torn country.
Hekmatyar is back in the political mainstream after returning to Afghan public life in April due to a landmark, but hugely controversial, peace deal he signed with the Kabul government.
The 70-year-old told news hounds that Afghanistan desperately needed "a strong central government led by a powerful president".
"Without this, it is impossible to bring peace and stability to the country," he said, in his first presser with foreign media since returning to Afghanistan after more than twenty years in exile.
"Hezb-e-Islami is ready to co-operate with the government and bring in security and stability unconditionally," Hekmatyar said, referring to the largely dormant Lion of Islam group he heads.
"We accept that elections should be the only way to get to power and the participation of political parties in elections is the only way forward," he added.
Hekmatyar, white-bearded and wearing his trademark black turban, also said that Donald Trump
...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States...
would be wrong to send more American troops to Afghanistan, something the US president is believed to be considering. America has about 8,400 soldiers in the country, well below their presence of more than 100,000 six years ago.