President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that the United States military could end the war in Afghanistan in just 10 days, although the country would be obliterated in that process.

“I could win that war in a week, I just don’t want to kill 10 million people,” Trump said in a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. “Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the earth,” Trump said. “It would be over in literally, in 10 days, and I don’t wanna go that route, so we’re working with Pakistan and others to extricate ourselves.”

Trump met with Khan to broker a peace deal with the Taliban that would allow American troops to withdraw from Afghanistan. The Afghan government is reportedly seeking clarification of Trump’s comment about a potential way to end the 18-year conflict. Afghanistan has a population of more than 35 million.

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The U.S.’s top envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, is now reportedly returning to the country in order to continue negotiating a peace deal with the Taliban.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Khalizad said the president’s statement was intended to emphasize the White House’s belief that “there is no reasonable military solution to the war in Afghanistan, & that peace must be achieved through a political settlement.”

Since the U.S.-led coalition invaded Afghanistan in 2001, more than 2,400 American service personnel have been killed in the region.

The Trump administration has drawn severe criticism in recent months from many lawmakers, especially Democrats, for not withdrawing enough U.S. troops from countries like Afghanistan and Syria.

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Pablo Mena

Article by Pablo Mena

Writer for uPolitics.com. NY Giants and Rangers fan. Film and TV enthusiast (especially Harry Potter and The Office) and lover of foreign languages and cultures.