WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that the Trumpadministration is ready to discuss with the Taliban the role of US andinternational forces in Afghanistan if they participate in peace talks.

Encouraged by the pictures of Taliban rebels and Afghan soldiers saying Eidprayers side by side, the top US diplomat also offered to work with theAfghan government and the Taliban to end the 17-year-old war.

“As President Ashraf Ghani emphasised in his statement to the Afghanpeople, peace talks by necessity would include a discussion of the role ofinternational actors and forces,” said Pompeo while referring to a recentstatement by the Afghan leader.

“The United States is prepared to support, facilitate, and participate inthese discussions.”ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

The Taliban demand the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan,insisting that there can be no peace as long as there are foreign forces onthe Afghan soil.

The US diplomat, however, emphasised that all talks must include the Afghangovernment.

Last week, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhunzada urged Washington to holddirect talks with the Taliban leadership, bypassing the government in Kabul.

“The United States stands ready to work with the Afghan government, theTaliban, and all the people of Afghanistan to reach a peace agreement andpolitical settlement that brings a permanent end to this war,” said Pompeoin a message issued after Eid holidays.

The statement makes it clear that Washington has no intention to abandonthe setup in Kabul in which it has invested heavily and has lost more than2,000 US soldiers and contractors in defending it.

Last week, the Taliban accepted an offer by President Ghani to stopfighting for seven days to allow all Afghans to celebrate Eid in peace.