(16 Jul 2021) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4335648

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday the Afghan people should take up arms to prevent the Taliban from gaining full control of the country.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Pompeo said that as U.S. forces withdraw from Afghanistan, he believes Afghan forces can secure the country, but it will depend on whether they have the will to fight. Thousands of Afghanis have fled the country in recent days as Taliban forces have surged through northern Afghanistan.
"I saw some 22, 23-year-old Afghan male saying 'It's really dangerous here. I want to get out,'" Pompeo said. "What those Afghans should've been saying 'It's really dangerous here. Give me an M-16.' They need to fight for their own country. We don't need to send Americans to fight if the Afghan people aren't willing to fight for their freedom."
During Trump's tenure, Pompeo headed up negotiations with the Taliban. He applauded President Joe Biden's move to withdraw from Afghanistan but said he was worried that U.S. counterterrorism operations could be hurt in the process.

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