[ad_1]
The resolution of the dispute that has erupted between Greece and Turkey after the continuous provocations of Ankara with the successive publications of NAVTEX and the presence of “Oruts Reyes” on the Greek continental shelf in a diplomatic and peaceful manner is demanded by the US Chancellor. Pompeo. In particular, Pompeo calls for warships to leave the area for talks to take place. In the context of the interview, he also talks about tomorrow’s visit to Cyprus, the partial lifting of the arms embargo and the US military presence in Afghanistan.
Below are Pompeo’s statements to reporters.
Pompeo: Thank you all for joining us on the trip. It is really historical. It took us longer than I expected, so we had to get to today, February 29, expecting that on Saturday morning, for the first time in two decades, Afghans will sit at the table together, ready to hold the talks. crucial ways to move your country forward, reducing violence and giving the Afghan people what they demand: a reconciled Afghanistan, with a government that reflects a country that is not at war. This will give the American people the opportunity to reduce the dangers of the young men and women out there after that, tomorrow is September 11, that is, for almost 20 years, after they have shed a lot of blood and given a lot American wealth to help them. May the Afghan people succeed and defeat Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, a truly enormous success.
Fewer than a few hundred al-Qaeda fighters remain in Afghanistan. The vast majority of its leaders are no longer on the battlefield. We can be proud of what we have achieved, but it is time to take the next step and I am aware of how difficult these discussions between Afghans are, but it is for their own good. It is their country that they must find a way to move forward and create a better life for all the Afghan people.
So I’m happy to ask a few questions about this or the rest of the trip, like our stay in Cyprus, another important trip.
Journalist: Do you want to go; Obviously it will be the anniversary of September 11th when we get there. Can you tell us the meaning of this too?
Pompeo: Yes. Look, I don’t think there is an American who doesn’t remember this day, all Americans who are 24, 25 or older remember, who were old enough to watch TV that day, or who lived in New York at the time. I remember I was in Kansas where I was working in my small business. I remember getting a call from my wife telling me to turn on the television and see what was going on. I remember the rage. I remember the righteous outrage we all had, and the United States reacted to it in a perfectly justified, very successful, and appropriate way, and now is the time to put Afghanistan on the next step.
There are still jihadists in the world. The fight against terrorism is still necessary. President Trump is keenly aware of this. We will continue to ensure the protection of our homeland and we will do everything necessary to reduce the risk of terrorist attacks, not only from Afghanistan but also from Syria, Iraq, Asia, Al-Shabaab (Somalia). , of all the places where there are terrorists. The United States will do its job to ensure the reduction of risks to our country.
JournalistSo, Mr. Minister, two quick questions. Do you think the United States is willing to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan, even before an agreement is signed between the Taliban and the Afghan government? And second, what do you think of the UN and other reports that the Taliban continue to flee from foreign fighters, such as elements of al-Qaeda and other foreign fighters? And do they pose such a great threat that they could change America’s attitude and calculations on all of this?
PompeoSo these two questions are connected, these questions are actually connected to each other.
Journalist: Yes.
Pompeo: There are a number of commitments by the Taliban. We have all the expectations that they will meet them. Our commitment to reduce our forces to zero will be realized only on the condition that they also fulfill their obligations under the agreement.
Therefore, we are clear about your obligations in relation to terrorist activity taking place in Afghanistan, that is, the organization (attacks) against foreign forces operating in the country. It is very clear that the levels of violence have dropped to an acceptable level. Look, I just saw yesterday, maybe the day before yesterday, that there are still riots out there. There are people who do not want things to continue. They want America to get bogged down in this place. They don’t want peace in Afghanistan. But the majority of Afghans want that (peace) and that is what we will focus on.
And as for our military strength, the president said, and I think General Mackenzie also said yesterday, that by the end of the fall we would have dropped about 4,500 American soldiers. There will be a significant number of soldiers from the Resolute Support Mission. I am aware that it is not only Americans who are at risk here. There are a lot of international forces that have also sacrificed people in this battle over the past 19 years. We want everyone to have the opportunity to reduce risk, to reduce their strength.
And then our step to the appropriate (numerical) levels will be in harmony with the two objectives that the president presented when I assumed the chancellorship. Get as close to zero as you can, as quickly as possible. We intend to do so and have made real progress. Second, you cannot sacrifice security for homeland.
So I think these goals are achievable depending on what we (the US Secretary of State) have done and what the Department of Defense has accomplished in the last few years. We have made real progress on both goals.
Journalist: But is this timetable in line with the negotiations? I mean, if these discussions go on for months, maybe longer, how will you adjust?
Yes. Look, we will observe the conditions within the country. These terms are part of a set of risky terms, so the negotiations are part of it in a way, but what we are really looking at is what is the security situation, what are the risks, risks like Al Qaeda. it has room to expand, such as the fact that attacks come from outside. These are the terms of the agreement, we will see them when we advise the president on the next package of decisions he will make, on how quickly we can really reach our goal, which is not to have American forces in Afghanistan.
Journalist: Are you concerned that this works as a disincentive for the Taliban to negotiate in good faith? And how can you guarantee that they will negotiate?
Pompeo: There are no guarantees in Afghanistan. I think after 19 years, this is what we understand. We can also see that when the previous government had tens of thousands of troops there, it failed to achieve its basic objectives. We’ve done it. We did it. No, I think the Taliban have every incentive to get it right. President Trump has made it clear: If they put Americans in danger, we will hunt them down, we will hit them hard. We’ve done it. We have done it for the last three and a half years. We have done real harm to the Taliban in cases that put Americans at risk. We will continue to do this. We will continue to have a proactive stance, which will allow us to move forward in a way that preserves the dual objectives presented by the President. I am very sure of that.
Journalist: Would the government be willing to send troops back if necessary?
Pompeo: Yes, the president has said that. The president has said that whether in a year or three, if there is danger for America, we will return. And I think he’s used a lot more clever language, but he’s said we’re going to go there and fix things. We will carry out the mission in a manner that protects American security.
Journalist: Can you talk a bit about your visit to Cyprus and why it is important?
Pompeo: Yes, it was so important. He had first planned to go there in the past and had postponed the trip. I don’t know, Nick, maybe you were on that trip when …
Journalist– I was not there
Pompeo: When we had to go to another destination. It is also a fact that the things that are happening today in the eastern Mediterranean are important and I want to have the opportunity to speak with the leaders there in Cyprus about their own vision, their goals and the things they would like to do. The president is very clear and has asked (he has spoken with President Erdogan, he has spoken with Prime Minister Mitsotakis and he has pointed this out each time) disputes, maritime disputes to be resolved diplomatically and peacefully. And that is why I will work for that too, to make sure that I understand the dangers from the perspective of the people of Cyprus and take them into account as we continue to work on the challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean. This is something we really focus on. The Germans have done a good job diplomatically trying to persuade them to start talks on how to proceed. We hope that there will be real talks and we hope that the warships will withdraw so that the talks can take place.
Journalist: The partial lifting of the arms embargo on Cyprus (exemption) was a “blow” for Turkey. I mean, they weren’t happy at all with this exemption.
Pompeo: Look..
Journalist: I mean, where are things going with Erdogan at this stage?
Pompeo: Well, the exemption has been coming for a long time. We have been working on this for some time. It has been in keeping with American politics for a long time. It was the right time to make that decision. So we completed our analysis, made sure to account for potential risks, and acted quickly. Anyway, I have to go.
Journalist: Thank you so much.
