美国国防部长吉姆·马蒂斯说，跟得到美国支持的阿富汗政府军作战的塔利班部队中的小派系表示有兴趣谈判以结束16年的战争。
马蒂斯星期二做出上述表示。之前，马蒂斯突然访问喀布尔，与阿富汗总统加尼讨论关于跟塔利班开始和谈的计划。这位前海军陆战队将军表示，现在就预计伊斯兰反叛武装会“马上”坐下来谈判可能“有些不切实际”。
塔利班以前曾提出为可能达成的和平协议举行谈判，但是只跟美国直接谈，这个提议被马蒂斯拒绝。马蒂斯对记者说，我们想让阿富汗方面主导谈判并提供和解努力所需的内容。
马蒂斯说，阿富汗的最终胜利是喀布尔和塔利班之间的“政治和解”，证明这个国家有能力处理自己的安全问题。
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says small factions of Taliban forces fighting the U.S.-backed Afghan government forces have expressed an interest in negotiating an end to the 16-year war.
Mattis made the suggestion Tuesday before arriving in Kabul on an unannounced visit to discuss President Ashraf Ghani’s plan to open peace talks with the Taliban. The former Marine general said it “may be a bridge too far” to expect the Islamic insurgent force to sit down at the negotiating table “in one fell swoop.”
The Taliban has previously offered to hold talks on a possible peace agreement, but only directly with the United States, which Mattis rejects. “We want the Afghans to lead and provide the substance to the reconciliation effort,” he told reporters.
Mattis said the ultimate victory in Afghanistan will be a “political reconciliation” between Kabul and the Taliban, with a country capable of handling its own security.