World News | Stoltenberg Says NATO Troubled by Taliban Blitz
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. The NATO chief says the military alliance is troubled by the Taliban offensive in Afghanistan and is warning the insurgents that they won't be considered legitimate by the West if they seize the country by force.
Brussels, Aug 13 (AP) The NATO chief says the military alliance is troubled by the Taliban offensive in Afghanistan and is warning the insurgents that they won't be considered legitimate by the West if they seize the country by force.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters after chairing talks on Friday with NATO ambassadors that the “allies are deeply concerned about the high levels of violence caused by the Taliban's offensive, including attacks on civilians, targeted killings, and reports of other serious human rights abuses.”
He says “the Taliban need to understand that they will not be recognized by the international community if they take the country by force,” and that NATO is “committed to supporting a political solution to the conflict.”
The Taliban have been emboldened by the Biden administration's decision earlier this year to withdraw U.S. troops and to wind up the NATO training mission in Afghanistan. Most NATO troops have already left, with the remainder due to pull out by August 31.
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Stoltenberg says NATO's aim “remains to support the Afghan government and security forces as much as possible.” This will almost exclusively happen from outside the country.
Several nations, including the United States, are starting to reduce and evacuate embassy staff from the Afghan capital. Stoltenberg says the 30-nation alliance intends to “maintain our diplomatic presence in Kabul, and continue to adjust as necessary.” (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)