US President Donald Trump outlined the country's new Afghanistan policy in a prime-time speech on Monday, where he also spoke about India and Pakistan.
Addressing the nation in a prime-time speech at a military base near Washington, Trump said his new approach was aimed at preventing Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for Islamist militants bent on attacking the United States.
Emphasising on strengthening strategic ties with India, he said, "India makes billions of dollars in trade from US and must do more in Afghanistan."
Meanwhile, he slammed Pakistan for giving "safe heaven to agents of chaos, violence and terror".
As expected, the speech - which marked a reversal of his earlier stance on Afghanistan (which advocated troop withdrawal in the country) - prompted a slew of reactions on social media, many of which were critical of Trump.
Abdul Basit, high commissioner of Pakistan to India, was critical of Trump’s call for greater involvement of India in Afghanistan.
Afghan Envoy Welcomes Trump’s Speech
After Trump’s address, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement:
We stand ready to support peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban without preconditions.Rex Tillerson, US Secretary of State
Meanwhile, the speech was welcomed Afghanistan's envoy to US Hamdullah Mohib, who referred to it as "10 out of 10".
He was quoted by Fox News as saying:
We heard exactly what we needed to. The focus on the numbers has taken away the real focus on what should have been: what conditions are required and what kind of support is necessary.
(With inputs from Reuters)
(#TalkingStalking: Have you ever been stalked? Share your experience with The Quint and inspire others to shatter the silence surrounding stalking. Send your stories to editor@thequint.com or WhatsApp @ +919999008335.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)