US promises to consider India in Afghan withdrawal

The United States promised Wednesday to take into account India's concerns as it looks to pull out of Afghanistan, in high-level talks aimed at boosting the two democracies' emerging alliance.

The talks in Washington came against the backdrop of major protests in India over a citizenship law that critics say targets Muslims, but Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was careful not to speak forcefully on the issue.

Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper, meeting for a day of talks with their Indian counterparts, said they explained the renewed US talks with the Taliban aimed at ending America's longest war.

"We understand the concerns that India has, too - rightful concerns that they have - about terrorism emanating from Pakistan," Pompeo told a joint news conference. "We assured them that we would take that into account," he said.

Pompeo voiced hope that talks with the Taliban, which veteran US negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad is leading in Qatar, will eventually bring a "significant reduction in violence" that will let the United States "reduce its footprint."

India is a sworn enemy of the Taliban, whose hardline 1996-2001 regime was allied with rival Pakistan and welcomed virulently anti-Indian Islamist extremists. India has been one of the top backers of Afghanistan's internationally recognized government, pouring in $3 billion since the US-led invasion toppled the Taliban regime after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

"Of course we have concerns about the future of Afghanistan," Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said. "We believe that the reconciliation process in Afghanistan should be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned," he said, voicing hope that gains of the past two decades "will be strengthened and preserved."