The warning comes amid outrage over the alleged Russian bonuses targeting US troops. (File)
Washington:
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned the Taliban against attacks on the Americans, the State Department said on Tuesday outraged by the alleged Russian bonuses targeting US troops.
In a phone call Monday with the Taliban negotiator, Mullah Baradar, Pompeo “made it clear that the Taliban must live up to their commitments, including not to attack the Americans,” said a state department statement.
Pompeo was talking about the implementation of a February 29 agreement between the Taliban and the United States, which began to withdraw troops as part of President Donald Trump’s attempt to end the longest state war -United.
US officials say the Taliban have met the conditions not to attack the US-led coalition.
But he maintained violence against Afghan government forces, clouding attempts to start talks between the two sides on a peace settlement.
Washington was shaken by reports, initially in the New York Times, that Trump had been informed by U.S. intelligence that a Russian spy unit had offered rewards to militants linked to the Taliban for killing U.S. troops.
Trump insisted he was not told, but lawmakers from the rival Democratic Party and even some Republicans have asked for further explanations.
The Taliban previously reported the call, saying Baradar told Pompeo that the guerrillas “did not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against the United States and other countries.”
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
