NATO has made no decision on whether or when to pull out of Afghanistan, the military alliance’s top official said on Thursday. Pullout deadline approaching“We are faced with many dilemmas, and there are no easy options,” the former Norwegian prime minister told journalists after talks between defense ministers in Brussels. US urges Taliban to stick to 2020 peace dealStoltenberg’s comments echo calls by German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer that the Taliban must do more to meet the terms of their 2020 peace agreement. The Taliban has continued carrying out attacks in various parts of the country despite the start of direct peace talks between the internationally-backed Afghan government and the militants in Qatar in mid-September. NATO boosts Iraq presenceAs NATO countries mull leaving Afghanistan, the alliance said on Thursday it would boost numbers for its training mission in Iraq from 500 to some 4,000.

Source: Egypt Independent February 18, 2021 21:22 UTC