US Tells Afghan Leaders Future Is 'On Their Shoulders'

WASHINGTON - With each new victory claimed by the Taliban, the message from Washington to the Afghan government in Kabul becomes more pointed: The failure to blunt the Taliban's military offensive rests on you.  "We have seen #Afghan forces fight back in certain places" per @PentagonPresSec "We have seen the Afghan air force be very aggressive...They are professional. They are well-trained & they are in the air" "We are closely watching the deteriorating security conditions in parts of the country, but no particular outcome, in our view, is inevitable" per @PressSec, when asked about reports US intel thinks #Afghanistan could fall in as little as 30 days

The message has also become increasingly public.  "Afghan leaders have to come together. The future of the country is really on their shoulders," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Wednesday.  Afghan security forces "have what they need," she added. "What they need to determine is if they have the political will to fight back and if they have the ability to unite as leaders to fight back."