FIRST THEY’D HEARD OF IT

Trump’s Ceasefire Talk is News to Afghan Government, Taliban

The president’s assertion that the Taliban was “eager” for a ceasefire during a visit to troops in Afghanistan came as a surprise to the Afghan government and Taliban command.

President Trump’s assertion that the Taliban is “ready” and “eager” for a ceasefire is likely just wishful thinking, according to the Washington Post. The president made the claims during a surprise Thanksgiving visit to troops in Afghanistan who are on the front lines of an 18-year-old war spurred by the September 11 terror attacks. Trump told troops that the Taliban “wants to make a deal” even though Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Taliban negotiators said that no such discussion has taken place. “They didn’t want to do a cease-fire, but now they do want to do a cease-fire,” Trump told the troops. “It will probably work out that way... We’ve made tremendous progress.” Talks with the Taliban have only recently resumed after a September meeting in the U.S. between negotiators was cancelled in haste.