Retired Army Lt. Col. John Nagl, author of “Knife Fights: A Memoir of Modern War”, agreed that there are still threats to the American homeland in the region.
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“It’s not a question of whether, but how to continue the mission in Afghanistan, and last week, it became clear that our North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies feel the same way”, Carter said in a speech Wednesday to the Association of the U.S. Army.
Afghan officials say security forces have retaken the Ghormach district in the northwestern Faryab Province after it was overrun by Taliban militants several days ago.
Pandemonium broke out as people scrambled to flee, fearing an outcome much worse than in Kunduz, where Taliban death squads were accused of rape, summary executions and torching and plundering buildings.
The exodus is expected to rise as the security further unravels and the destination for the fleeing Afghans would not only be Europe but also neighbouring countries, particularly Pakistan which is already hosting three million Afghan refugees.
The fall of Kunduz shocked the Afghan nation and caused a drop in trust in the government as demands were made for President Ghani and CEO Abdullah to resign. That the Afghan people were fast losing hope in the future was illustrated by the reports that more than 70,000 mostly educated and better-off Afghans, second in number after the Syrians, have left to attempt illegal and unsafe crossing into Europe. Because of Obama, the situation has gotten worse in Afghanistan during his watch. “We do not have any alliance with the Pakistani Taliban”, he maintained while talking to the Afghan Islamic Press.
The geographic spread of the insurgency’s attacks has strained the limited resources of Afghan forces during a long year of fighting that is expected to last through the winter.
Five Taliban militants were killed and four injured since the troops engaged with the militants, according to Waziri.
The Jawzjan operation is part of the expanding fight by Afghan troops against the Taliban, which has launched sustained attacks on district and provincial centers since the withdrawal of most foreign troops at the end of past year.
The United States military’s presence and financial sustainment will send a strong message to the global community that the U.S.is committed to Afghanistan and is intent on fostering long-term stability, he added.
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The peace talks are unlikely to resume unless Islamabad and Kabul are able to overcome their perennial distrust.
