Increase in violence is unacceptable, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called for an immediate reduction in the ongoing violence in Afghanistan. He also criticized the international criminal court's permission to investigate war crimes in Afghanistan.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that the ongoing violence in Afghanistan must be curtailed. The peace process in this troubled country requires the Taliban to stop their attacks, he said. They have called the attacks by militants 'unacceptable'.
'Violence has increased in the past few days in some areas of Afghanistan, which is unacceptable,' Pompeo said at a news conference in Washington. The US Secretary of State insisted that the parties to the Afghan peace process should prepare for peace talks.
US forces launched an airstrike against Taliban fighters for the first time on Wednesday, after an eleven-day break, when 32 Afghan security personnel were killed by Taliban attacks. The incidents took place in three provinces of Afghanistan. It is reported that US President Donald Trump has telephoned a Taliban leader this week to discuss the latest situation.
Historic Deals for the United States and the Taliban
Just last week, a historic deal between the Taliban and the US has been put into operation, which will accelerate peace efforts in Afghanistan. Pompeo says he is confident that the Taliban will remain firm and that the Afghan peace process will begin.
The US Secretary of State said that the Kabul government and the Taliban should also be serious about the transfer of prisoners. The bilateral release of prisoners is also a key point in the peace deal reached between the US and the Taliban on February 29. According to the agreement, the Afghan government has to release five thousand Taliban, which in turn will allow a thousand government officials to be released under Taliban detention.
Under the US-Taliban deal, the withdrawal of foreign troops deployed in Afghanistan will be completed within the next fourteen months. Under the deal, the Taliban and Afghan security forces also agreed to a seven-day partial ceasefire, which is being described as the first step toward a full ceasefire.
Under the deal, peace talks in Afghanistan will begin on March 10, during which all internal issues will be discussed. During these talks, future political structures in Afghanistan will also be finalized.
Globally, this deal is being regarded as an important development, while in some circles there are doubts about the success of the deal. The US Secretary of State also finalized the deal in Doha, warning that there may be many obstacles to sustainable peace in Afghanistan.
Reservations on war crime investigations
Pompeo also expressed reservations over the International Criminal Court's decision, under which the International Court of Justice allowed regular investigations to determine whether the US military, local administration, and Taliban war and humanity in Afghanistan. Convicted of crimes against or not?
Mike Pompeo called the decision a reckless decision, saying it was not right to say that especially at a time when a peace deal between the United States and the Taliban had been reached a few days ago. He said the deal provides an opportunity for peace.
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