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McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the complete pullout of troops would be “an opening for the Taliban to gain great success in Afghanistan”.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) U.S. Senator John McCain says the ongoing Taliban offensive in Afghanistan demands a reassessment of the Obama administration’s current plan to drawdown US forces. John McCain, R-Ariz. speaks to…
McCain says he backs Ghani’s request for a comprehensive intelligence assessment of conditions on the ground to determine the proper size and shape of USA troop presence after 2016.
Afghan forces have struggled to fight off the Taliban since the US and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation combat mission officially concluded at the end of previous year. This exceeds the number USA troops killed since the 2001 invasion, which ended the Taliban rule, according to yahoonews.
He said the Taliban attacks in normal non-fighting season – alluding to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in which Muslims spend the daytime hours fasting, along with the Afghan summer heat – required North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the United States to keep between 5,000 and 6,000 troops, including the two major bases in Kandahar and Kabul, after 2016. Masoom Stanekzai received just 84 out of the needed 107 votes for parliamentary approval.
The crucial post has sat vacant for months, reportedly due to differences between Ghani and his chief executive and ex- presidential election rival, Abdullah Abdullah. Stanekzai, the second nominee put forth by Ghani to be rejected, is also seen by some to be ineffective, based on the chaotic security situation around the country.
Stanekzai, the ex- peace representative, was nominated as acting minister at the end of May and had taken charge of the army at a time when most foreign troops have departed and the Taliban are gaining territory.
McCain spoke at a news conference after holding discussions with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, whose government has been dealing with growing political and internal rivalries in the 10 months since its creation. The victims, aged 16 and 17, were hospitalized in stable condition, said Mohammad Rafiq Sherzai, spokesman for the Herat hospital.
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Authorities have regained control of the checkpoints, which had been overrun by Taliban fighters.
