Alwaght- The United States is Slashing $1 billion in aid to Afghanistan and threatening further reductions in all forms of cooperation after the country’s rival leaders failed to agree on forming a new government.
The US Secretary of State announced the decision after Mike Pompeo in his Monday visit to Kabul failed press President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah to form an inclusive government.
“The United States deeply regrets that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and former Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah have informed Secretary Pompeo that they have been unable to agree on an inclusive government that can meet the challenges of governance, peace, and security, and provide for the health and welfare of Afghan citizens,” Pompeo said in a statement after his talks in Kabul Ghani and Abdullah.
Pompeo said Washington was “disappointed” in both men and their conduct, which he said had “harmed US-Afghan relations and, sadly, dishonors those Afghan, American, and coalition partners who have sacrificed their lives and treasure in the struggle to build a new future for this country.”
Since the elections held in September, Abdullah Abdullah, has contested the results in spite of the country's elections commission declaring Ghani the winner last month.
The political in-fighting has endangered peace negotiations with the Taliban whom the US and NATO came to an agreement with in February to begin withdrawing troops in exchange for the group continuing to ward off terrorist factions in the region.
The surprise visit by Pompeo was made during a time of severely reduced travel as the world copes with the ever-worsening coronavirus pandemic.
