Afghanistan government seeks clarification on Trump’s “wiping out” remarks

Afghanistan’s government called on Tuesday for clarification of U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks that he could win the Afghan war in just 10 days by “wiping out Afghanistan from the face of the earth”, the presidential palace in Kabul said.

Ahead of his Monday meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Trump had said, “I don’t want to kill 10 million people”. “I have plans on Afghanistan that if I wanted to win that war, Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the earth, it would be gone, it would be over in literally 10 days.”

Trump also voiced optimism that Pakistan could help broker a political settlement to end the nearly 18-year-old war in Afghanistan.

“The Afghan nation has not and will never allow any foreign power to determine its fate,” Afghanistan’s presidential palace said in a statement.