U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter who paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Tuesday reassured Washington’s long-term support to the militancy-plagued country.
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Speaking at Bagram Air Field on Tuesday, General John “Mick” Nicholson, the commander of USA and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces in Afghanistan, said his troops are now better equipped to help Afghan forces take the offensive against the Taliban, and they have begun to carry out their mission in several areas.
The Defense Secretary’s second stop in a war zone after Iraq came days after US President Barack Obama announced that the US would keep 8,400 troops in Afghanistan in 2017 instead of reducing their numbers to 5,500.
For now, Obama has done the minimum to ensure that 15 years of USA investment and sacrifices in Afghanistan, including 2,300 military deaths, do not end in catastrophe during his presidency. Previously, American forces were only authorized to strike Taliban units if they were under attack or if their Afghan allies were facing imminent defeat. Although casualties are unlikely to approach in the futurewhat they were at the height of the USA combat mission in Afghanistan – 499 US troops were killed in 2010 – a continued presence means continued danger.
Attacks by the Taliban and other organizations like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group have meant NATO-especially the United States-has been unable to leave Afghanistan after ending its combat operation at end-2014.
Nevertheless, even after years of training and billions in US spending, Afghan forces are not yet ready to stand alone.
Providing support to Afghanistan and its security forces demonstrates America’s commitment, he said.
“Corruption is as risky as terrorism”, Ghani said, adding that his government is working to end impunity through the formation of the Counter Corruption Center in the upcoming months. According to media reports, hundreds of people in the eastern province of Nangarhar have been displaced after days of heavy fighting between IS jihadists and government troops earlier this month.
Carter and Ghani also discussed neighboring Pakistan, which Afghanistan has long accused of supporting Taliban fighters. The US – in the hope of making marginal gains against an enemy it should know it can not rout in battle – is putting at risk any hope of peace. “There is no difference between good terrorists and bad terrorists”, he said.
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Carter vowed the USA will continue to strike terrorist leaders “everywhere in the world where they might threaten Americans or our interests and our friends”.
