The country of Afghanistan called Tuesday for the U.S. to explain a comment made by President Trump, who said if the countries went to war the U.S. would wipe them “off the face of the Earth.”
“The Afghan nation has not and will never allow any foreign power to determine its fate,” Sediq Sediqqi, the spokesman for the President of Afghanistan, said in a statement, according to CNN. “Given the multifaceted relationship between Afghanistan and the United States, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan calls for clarification on the U.S. President’s statements.”
Mr. Trump seemed to hint at the use of nuclear weapons Monday by noting Afghanistan war could be finished in a week but with “10 million” lives lost.
“If we wanted to fight a war in Afghanistan and win it, I could win that war in a week. I just don’t want to kill 10 million people,” Mr. Trump said. “I have plans on Afghanistan, that if I wanted to win that war, Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the Earth. It would be gone. It would be over in — literally, in 10 days, and I don’t want to do — I don’t want to go that route.”
The U.S. has been working with the Taliban to negotiate an end to the 18-year war in Afghanistan, and the Trump administration is hoping Pakistan could help connect the U.S. to the Afghan government.
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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