A former senior commander of Afghanistan’s security forces has appealed to US President Donald Trump to help create conditions that would allow Afghans to return home and resume the fight against the Taliban.

In an open letter, General Abdul Raqib Mubariz wrote that many former Afghan military personnel now refugees in the United States do not wish to remain in exile and would prefer to go back and fight for their country’s liberation.

He condemned the recent attack carried out by an Afghan suspect in Washington, D.C., stressing that such incidents should not be attributed to the wider Afghan community. Mubariz said that, given the reaction to the attack, Afghans’ goal was not to stay in the United States but to see Washington play a role in enabling Afghanistan’s freedom.

Mubariz wrote that this time, the battle will not require American soldiers on the ground, saying Afghans need only material and political support and are capable of fighting for their own freedom.

He concluded by referencing Trump’s stated efforts to promote global peace and urged him to use his influence to support Afghans seeking to reclaim their country.