Following a surprise by President Donald Trump to visit troops, the Taliban said Friday they are ready to restart peace talks with the United States amid the 18-year-long conflict in Afghanistan.
“The Taliban wants to make a deal. Well see if they want to make a deal. Its got to be a real deal, but well see,” Trump said after he arrived in Afghanistan on Thanksgiving.
The Taliban, he said, only want to resume peace talks because American troops are “doing a great job” in the country.
“Thats the only reason they want to make a deal. So I want to thank you, and I want to thank the Afghan soldiers for really—Ive spoken to a lot of you today, and you say theyre really fighting hard. I was very impressed with that, actually. So I want to thank you,” the president said.
Speaking to reporters, Trump also said that “we are meeting with them,” referring to the Taliban. “We say it has to be a ceasefire and they didnt want to do a ceasefire and now they want to do a ceasefire, I believe. It will probably work out that way,” he added.
Earlier this year, the White House canceled peace negotiations and Trump declared the talks were “dead” after the terrorist organization claimed responsibility for a bombing that left a dozen people dead, including one American, in Kabul.
But on Friday, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the group is “ready to restart the talks.”
“Our stance is still the same. Read More – Source
