The largest concentration of terrorist organizations in the world is in Afghanistan, and unless the Taliban is serious about negotiations, there will not be a long-lasting peace there, Sen. Tom Cotton said Friday.
"Obviously we will have the Taliban be part of any ultimate political solution in Afghanistan," the Arkansas Republican told Fox News' "Fox and Friends." "We have to remember the Taliban has not renounced violence, has not renounced ties to Al-Qaeda or affiliated groups and does not recognize the government in Kabul."
If the Taliban are willing to take those kinds of steps and reach a ceasefire, that is something with which the United States can work, said Cotton, but they want only to make empty promises in exchange for concrete concessions, he does not think that would be a foundation for a solid peace deal.
President Donald Trump on Thursday, after a surprise Thanksgiving Day visit with U.S. troops in Afghanistan, said the U.S. and Taliban have been engaged in ongoing peace talks and said he believes the Taliban want a cease-fire."
Cotton pointed out that Trump recognized North Korea leader Kim Jong Un was only making promises earlier this year and backed away from talks, and he doesn't think he would take a deal with the Taliban under similar circumstances.
"Afghanistan is the place from which the 911 attacks were launched and the place that has the largest concentration of terrorist organizations anywhere else in the world.the reason we're in Afghanistan is to protect our own citizens here at home," said Cotton.
He also discussed Trump's call to designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations, saying that the action could have a significant impact at the nation's border.
"If they were designated as a foreign terrorist designation or Congress changes the law on criminal organizations, then anyone who has paid a cartel to help traffic them across Mexico would himself be liable for criminal penalties, for material assistance to a terrorist organization or inadmissible into our country," said Cotton. "For that fact that would be a big change and a helpful change at the southern border."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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