Mike Pompeo says violence levels in Afghanistan 'unacceptably high'

WASHINGTON: The violence currently taking place in Afghanistan is `unacceptably high`, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday, adding that Washington has asked the warring parties there to `stand back and indeed stand down`.

"I made clear to them that the violence levels can`t continue while these negotiations go on, it won`t work," Pompeo said at the IISS Manama Dialogue.