Afghanistan's Ghani says best way to end a war is to turn your enemy "into a friend."

Record ID: 1623198

  • Title: Afghanistan's Ghani says best way to end a war is to turn your enemy "into a friend."
  • Date: 25th June 2021
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (JUNE 25, 2021) (REUTERS) AFGHAN PRESIDENT ASHRAF GHANI WALKING UP TO MICROPHONE (SOUNDBITE ) (English) AFGHAN PRESIDENT ASHRAF GHANI, SAYING: "We respect this decision. We are fully satisfied that this decision has been taken in the spirit in which it is offered, which is not abandonment of Afghanistan, but a new chapter in our relationship." WIDE SHOT OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE ) (English) AFGHAN PRESIDENT ASHRAF GHANI, SAYING: "The Afghan Defense and Security forces have prioritized their actions and are fully prepared for the job that the Constitution of Afghanistan and the people of Afghanistan expect from them." WIDE SHOT OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE ) (English) AFGHAN PRESIDENT ASHRAF GHANI, SAYING: "The support for the republic is intense, immense and across the board." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE ) (English) AFGHAN PRESIDENT ASHRAF GHANI, SAYING: "Force is not the way to compel an Afghan to submission. We still call on them to have a ceasefire and to engage in a political process because a political settlement is the ultimate mechanism of ending a war. As Lincoln said, the best way of treating your enemy is to turn him into a friend." WIDE SHOT OF NEWS CONFERENCE GHANI LEAVES PODIUM AS NEWS CONFERENCE ENDS
  • Embargoed: 10th July 2021 00:13
  • Keywords: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Biden end of war friends and enemies war
  • Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics,United States
  • Reuters ID: LVA001EIWIMVB
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani after meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden Friday (June 25) said the best way to end a war is to turn your enemy "into a friend."
    Ghani is in Washington to seek support for Afghanistan as the last U.S. troops pack up after 20 years of war and government forces struggle to repel Taliban advances.
    Biden, seated beside Ghani and Abdullah in the Oval Office, called them "two old friends" and said U.S. support for Afghanistan was not ending but would be sustained despite the U.S. pullout.
    Ghani said Afghan security forces had retaken six districts on Friday. He said he respected Biden's decision and that the partnership between the United States and Afghanistan is entering a new phase.
    The Oval Office meeting could be as valuable to Ghani for its symbolism as for any new U.S. help because it will be seen as affirming Biden's support for the beleaguered Afghan leader as he confronts Taliban gains, bombings and assassinations, a surge in COVID-19 cases and political infighting in Kabul.
    Biden's embrace, however, comes only months after U.S. officials were pressuring Ghani to step aside for a transitional government under a draft political accord that they floated in a failed gambit to break a stalemate in peace talks.
    U.S. officials, however, have been clear that Biden will not halt the American pullout - likely to be completed by late July or early August - and he is unlikely to approve any U.S. military support to Kabul to halt the Taliban's advances beyond advice, intelligence, and aircraft maintenance.
    Earlier, the Afghan leaders met for a second day on Capitol Hill, where Biden's withdrawal decision met objections from many members of both parties.
    U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, welcoming Ghani to a bipartisan leadership meeting, said she looked forward to hearing about what more can be done with U.S. humanitarian aid, especially for women and girls.
    Many lawmakers and experts have expressed deep concerns that the Taliban - if returned to power - will reverse progress made on the rights of women and girls, who were harshly repressed and barred from education and work during the insurgents' 1996-2001 rule.
    (Camera: Greg Savoy; Production: Deborah Lutterbeck)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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