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NATO chief warns of 'heavy price' if US troops leave Afghanistan

By ANI | Updated: November 18, 2020 11:45 IST

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday said that the military organisation could pay a heavy price for leaving Afghanistan too early, after US President Donald Trump's administration's plan to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan, Tolo News reported.

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The North Atlantic Treaty Orgsation (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday said that the military orgsation could pay a heavy price for leaving Afghstan too early, after US President Donald Trump's administration's plan to withdraw American troops from Afghstan, Tolo News reported.

"Afghstan risks becoming once again a platform for international terrorists to plan and orgze attacks on our homelands. And ISIS (Daesh) could rebuild in Afghstan the terror caliphate it lost in Syria and Iraq," Stoltenberg said in a statement.

"NATO Allies support the peace process in Afghstan. As part of this process, we have already significantly adjusted our presence," he added.

Stoltenberg said that he has repeatedly stressed that they will continue to review their troop levels in Afghstan.

"We now have under 12,000 NATO troops in Afghstan, and more than half of these are non-US forces."

The NATO mentioned that even with further US reductions, the orgsation will continue its mission to train, advise, and assist the Afghan security forces. "We are also committed to funding them through 2024."

"We went into Afghstan together. And when the time is right, we should leave together in a coordinated and orderly way. I count on all NATO allies to live up to this commitment, for our own security," Stoltenberg said.

Last month, US President Donald Trump said in a Twitter post that he wanted all 4,500 US troops in Afghstan home by Christmas, but top military and national security aides advised against such a precipitous withdrawal, Tolo News further reported.

The reports come as violence has significantly increased in the country despite peace efforts.

Meanwhile, the peace negotiations in Doha have stalled over differences on ground rules for the talks.

( With inputs from ANI )

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

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