US President Donald Trump on Sunday hailed progress in negotiations on an Afghanistan peace deal, saying talks with both the Taliban and the Afghan government were going well.
But while Mr Trump said the United States had things "under control," a massive bombing in Kabul highlighted the rampant violence still plaguing Afghanistan and the major challenges it would face even if an agreement is reached.
“We’re having very good discussions with the Taliban. We’re having very good discussions with the Afghan government,” Mr Trump told reporters.
Expectations are rising for a deal in which the United States would start withdrawing its soldiers from Afghanistan after almost two decades of war that has ground into a stalemate.
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Members of Afghan security forces keep watch at the site of a car bomb blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 7, 2019. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani -
Members of Afghan security forces inspect the site of a car bomb blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 7, 2019. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani -
ATTENTION EDITORS - SENSITIVE MATERIAL. THIS IMAGE MAY OFFEND OR DISTURB An injured man recevies treatment at a hospital after a blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 7, 2019. REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail -
epa07760008 Afghan men clean their broken windows after a truck bomb explosion followed by gun fight targeted a police station in a heavy residential area in the west of Kabul, Afghanistan, 07 August 2019. According to the reports at least 20 people were killed and 100 others wounded. EPA/JAWAD JALALI -
Afghan police officers keep watch at the site of a car bomb blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 7, 2019. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani -
Afghans stand near a damaged shop after an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019. A suicide car bomber targeted the police headquarters in a minority Shiite neighborhood in western Kabul on Wednesday, setting off a huge explosion that wounded dozens of people, Afghan officials said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) -
Afghan police officers secure the site of a car bomb blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 7, 2019. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani -
epa07760003 A view of the desctruction caused at the scene of a car bomb blast, in Kabul, Afghanistan, 07 August 2019. Dozens of people were injured when a car bomb exploded outside a police station in Kabul. EPA/HEDAYATULLAH AMID -
epa07760002 A man who was injured in a car bomb blast talks to people at the scene, in Kabul, Afghanistan, 07 August 2019. Dozens of people were injured when a car bomb exploded outside a police station in Kabul. EPA/HEDAYATULLAH AMID -
epa07759999 People flee the scene of a car bomb blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, 07 August 2019. Dozens of people were injured when a car bomb exploded outside a police station in Kabul. EPA/HEDAYATULLAH AMID -
Afghan police officers stand guard at the site of a car bomb blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 7, 2019. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani
“We’ve really got it down to probably 13,000 people and we’ll be bringing it down a little bit more and then we’ll decide whether or not we’ll be staying longer or not,” Mr Trump said.
“We have things under control very well with the small force. We can probably make it a little bit smaller and then we’ll decide,” he said, adding: “It’ll depend on the Taliban, it’ll depend on the Afghan government.”
A US-Taliban agreement would not by itself bring an end to Afghanistan’s war, as the insurgents would still need to make a deal with the Washington-backed government in Kabul.
Mr Trump reiterated on Sunday that the United States would maintain an intelligence presence in the country even if it withdraws troops, to guard against potential militant threats.
“I think it’s very important that we continue intelligence there in all cases, because it is somewhat of a nest for hitting us,” the president said.
Washington is keen to end its involvement in Afghanistan, where it has spent more than $1 trillion, and Mr Trump has said since the start of his presidency that he wants troops out.
In return, the Taliban would commit to various security guarantees, including that the Islamist hardliners who long harboured Al Qaeda would not allow Afghanistan to become a militant safe haven – but any such promise would be tough to keep.
On Saturday, a bombing at a packed Afghan wedding hall killed at least 63 people, underscoring both the inadequacy of Afghanistan’s security forces and the massive challenges they face.
ISIS claimed the attack, saying one of its fighters blew himself up at a “large gathering” in Kabul while others “detonated a parked explosives-laden vehicle” when security forces arrived.
While the police and army claim they prevent most bombings from ever happening, insurgents pull off horrific attacks with chilling regularity.
And even as Mr Trump claimed progress in talks, little has changed for Afghans on the ground.
A UN tally found last year was the deadliest on record, with at least 3,804 civilian deaths caused by the war – including 927 children.
And figures from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs showed more than 217,000 people fled their homes because of fighting during the first seven months of 2019, prompting a huge need for humanitarian aid across the war-torn nation.
