Pentagon: Taliban Believes It Can Seize Control of Afghanistan By Force Contrary to Earlier Pledges

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The continued advance by the Taliban movement* is evidence its leaders believe they can retake control of Afghanistan by force rather than engaging in negotiation, US Defense Department spokesperson John Kirby said on Wednesday.

"The Taliban continues to advance and to assume control of district and provincial centers that clearly indicate that they believe it is possible to gain governance through force, through brutality, through violence, through oppression, which is at great odds with their previously stated goal of actually wanting to participate in a negotiated political solution," Kirby said during a press briefing.

Kirby responded to numerous questions about the Taliban’s advance and the role that the United States could still play in shaping a rapidly-deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan. He said it is primarily up to Afghan forces, who outnumber the Taliban, to use the resources and advantages available to them to maintain control of the country.

Earlier on Wednesday, the United Nations reported that nearly 390,000 Afghans have been displaced by conflicts this year, with a huge spike since May, after the United States initially agreed with the Taliban to withdrawn its troops from the country.

*A terrorist organisation banned in Russia and other countries.