US 'will not hesitate to nullify' agreement if Taliban break deal: Pentagon chief

• Pentagon chief comments came as the US signed an accord with the Taliban in Doha, laying out a timetable for a full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan within 14 months as it seeks an exit from its longest-ever war.

KABUL: The United States "will not hesitate to nullify" its historic deal with the Taliban if the insurgents renege on their security guarantees and commitment to hold talks with the Afghan government, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Saturday.

His comments came as the US signed an accord with the Taliban in Doha, laying out a timetable for a full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan within 14 months as it seeks an exit from its longest-ever war.

But on a visit to Kabul, Esper warned that "should the Taliban fail to honour their commitments they will forfeit their chance to sit with fellow Afghans and deliberate on the future of their country."

"Moreover the United States would not hesitate to nullify the agreement," he added.