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Lloyd Austin on War & Peace
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Wants to see a responsible end to US in Afghanistan
[On US withdrawal]: "What we want to see is a responsible end to this conflict," Austin told reporters in Kabul. "There's a lot of energy focused on doing what's necessary to bring a responsible end to this conflict." U.S. and Afghan officials worry
that the Taliban will retake much of Afghanistan and turn back the clock on human rights that have progressed during nearly two decades of American troop presence.Another factor is the Taliban's continued refusal to reduce violence.
The Taliban demand the withdrawal of all U.S. troops as a condition of the deal; the United States wants to see violence decline first. Austin acknowledged to reporters that it was "obvious" the level of violence in the country remained "pretty high."
"We'd really like to see that violence come down, and I think if it does come down, it can begin to set the conditions for some really fruitful diplomatic work," Austin said.
Source: Foreign Policy magazine on 2021 Biden Administration
, Mar 21, 2021
US forces ready to "fight tonight" against North Korea
Austin warned North Korea that U.S. forces are ready to "fight tonight" after the dictatorship condemned military drills taking place in South Korea. Austin discussed the U.S. military's commitment to "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula"
and "the importance of maintaining military readiness" during a press conference.
"Our force remains ready to 'fight tonight,' and we continue to make progress toward the eventual transition of wartime Operational Control to a [Republic of Korea]-commanded, future Combined
Forces Command," the defense secretary said. He continued: "While meeting all the conditions for this transition will take more time, I'm confident that this process will strengthen our alliance."
Source: Fox News on 2021 Biden Administration
, Mar 18, 2021
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