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WASHINGTON (AP) – Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it was “possible” for the United States to seek coordination with the Taliban on counterterrorism strikes in Afghanistan against militants of the Islamic State or others.
Milley did not give details and her comment on Wednesday did not appear to suggest any immediate plans to work with the Taliban.
US military commanders have coordinated daily with Taliban commanders outside Kabul airport for the past three weeks to facilitate the evacuation of more than 124,000 people. But that was a matter of convenience for both parties and not necessarily a sign that they will continue, or even want, a regular relationship in the future.
The US military ousted the Taliban from power in the fall of 2001 and fought them for the next 19 years.
The extent and nature of a US-Taliban relationship, now that the war is over, is one of the key issues to be addressed. The US diplomatic presence in Kabul has been moved to Doha, Qatar. President Joe Biden has repeatedly pointed out recently that the Taliban are declared enemies of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan, suggesting a common interest with the United States.
During a Pentagon press conference with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Milley called the Taliban “ruthless” adding: “It remains to be seen whether they change or not.” He suggested that the recent cooperation agreement with the Taliban at Kabul airport was not necessarily a model for the future.
“In wartime, you do what you have to to reduce the risk to the mission and the force, not what you necessarily want to do,” Milley said.
Biden has vowed to continue targeting the ISIS group in Afghanistan in response to last week’s ISIS suicide bombing at the gate of Kabul airport that killed dozens of Afghans and 13 US servicemen . On Saturday, the US military carried out a drone strike in Afghanistan which it said killed two IS planners. On Tuesday, Biden said, “At ISIS-K: We’re not done with you yet,” referring to the IS Group.
It will be more difficult to target militants of the Islamic State or other extremist groups, like al-Qaida, without American military forces on the ground and without friendly government forces with which to share intelligence on extremist networks. But the Biden administration says it can contain these groups by monitoring and potentially striking with assets based elsewhere in the region.
Although the Taliban oppose ISIS, it is far from clear that they will be inclined to work with the US military or the Central Intelligence Agency now that they have regained power in Kabul. Milley has recent experience with Taliban leadership; twice last year, most recently in December, he met them face to face in an attempt to slow down their attacks on the US-backed Afghan government, which collapsed in mid-August, triggering the frenzied evacuation led by the United States.
Austin seemed at least as skeptical as Milley as to the possibility that the coordination of the past few days at Kabul airport would suggest a future relationship with the Taliban.
“I wouldn’t make any logical leaps to bigger issues,” Austin said.
Austin and Milley both commanded troops in Afghanistan during the 20 Years War, and their comments at Wednesday’s press conference mostly focused on tributes to those who served in Afghanistan, including those who died or have been hurt. They also thanked everyone who contributed to the final airlift, which Austin called the largest evacuation of civilians in American history.
Milley and Austin urged veterans to view their service as useful and appreciated by the American public, while acknowledging that memories can be painful.
“The war is tough. It’s vicious. It’s brutal. It’s ruthless, ”Milley said. “Yes, we all have pain and anger. When we see what has happened over the past 20 years and over the past 20 days, it creates pain and anger.”
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