"They will soon regret it": the threat of the Taliban in the United States after the closure of the dialogue by Trump

The Taliban They warned Tuesday that if the United States abandoned negotiations on the withdrawal of their troops from Afghanistan, as President Donald Trump had decided, "they will regret it soon".

"We had two ways to end the occupation of Afghanistan, that of jihad and fighting, and of dialogue and negotiations, and if Trump wants to stop negotiations, we will engage in the first of these ways and will soon regret it, "said a spokesman. Zabihulá Mujahid.

The day before, the US president announced that the negotiations "are dead", after the cancellation of a secret meeting scheduled at Camp David. "They are dead, for me they are dead," he said.

A few words contradicting those of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who did not exclude Sunday the resumption of negotiations with the United States. Taliban insurgents.

After the break-up of the negotiations – which seemed nevertheless to be about to end with an agreement after 18 years of warTrump said the US military had beefed up its offensive against the rebel movement since Thursday's attack in Kabul, during which an American soldier died.

"In the past four days, we have hit our enemies stronger than ever in the last ten years," Trump tweeted in response to the Taliban threat on Sunday. to make "suffer" the United States.

However, it is unclear whether the failure of the negotiations will mean the postponement of the announced phasing out of a portion of 13,000 to 14,000 American soldiers in Afghanistan

"I would like to leave but we will leave at the right time, "said evasive Trump, who during his campaign promised to" end endless wars ".

"That was my idea"

Trump also criticized newspaper articles that speak of the lack of agreements with his executive. According to US media, the vice president Mike Pence and the national security advisor John Bolton they did not want the Taliban to come to Camp DavidPresidents' second home, theater of several historical agreements.

"This story is a lie!" Trump said. "The dishonest media likes to believe that confusion reigns in the White House but this is not the case, "he said.

"As for my advisors, I followed his advice," he said. "There was a planned meeting, it was my idea and the idea of ​​canceling it," said Trump, claiming that Camp David would have been "a good place".

The idea of ​​a meeting with the Taliban at Camp David provoked the reactions of some Republicans, a few days after the 18th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

"Camp David is the place where US leaders met to plan our response after Al Qaeda, with the support of the Taliban, kill 3000 Americans September 11th. No Taliban member should set foot there. Never, "Liz Cheney, Congresswoman of the Republic, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, wrote on Twitter.

Trump approved direct talks with the Taliban a year ago. The agreement was about to be concluded to begin withdrawing US troops in return for Taliban guarantees to "reduce" their violence and start direct peace negotiations with the authorities in Kabul, which they have always rejected so far.