Friday July 5, 2019
Kabul (BNA) As peace efforts have been increased recently by Afghanistan government and US administration, US President Donald Trump in his latest remarks has expressed concern over troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. “I would like to just get out.
The problem is, it (Afghanistan) just seems to be a lab for terrorists. I call it the Harvard of terrorists,” he said. “I would leave very strong intelligence there,” Trump told Fox News’s in a wide-ranging interview that aired Monday night.
The US President Donald Trump said Monday he would leave an intelligence presence in Afghanistan, though he has long hoped for a full withdrawal of US military troops from the country. Trump said he’d like to “get out” of Afghanistan but added that it is a country with “a lot of good hiding places” and needs to be watched.
Trump added military commanders had told him they would fight terrorists on their home turf than in the US. Without a US military presence there, Afghanistan could be used as a base for terrorist attacks on the United States, he feared. In case that US leaves Afghanistan alone without the country reaches lasting peace and stability, consequences of the troop withdrawal will be dangerous for security of Afghanistan, the region and world. As US President has repeatedly stressed on troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, Afghan defense and security organs say the country’s national defense and security forces are now fully ready and able to defend their country and people, but they need further military equipment and training as well as strong support from the international community to fight terrorist groups and address threats posed by them in various parts of the country.
Afghan military experts by expressing concern over US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan say in consideration to regional sensibilities presence of US troops is a serious need for Afghanistan. “If US troops leave Afghanistan gradually, there will be no considerable impact on current war situation in Afghanistan. But, if the troop withdrawal happens hastily, it will be a big win for terrorist groups and their supporters in the region,” said Yarmand, a former Afghan military expert. He added that US should consider all regional sensibilities and try not to leave Afghanistan change as safe havens for terrorists, or all achievements of the past 18 years will be vanished. He further said that terrorist groups were still fighting against interests of the two countries; therefore, it was necessary that US troops should have active presence for fighting terrorists and maintaining stability in the country.
Jawed Kohistani, another military expert believes what we see regarding Afghanistan regional and political facts presence of US troops in the country is necessary. On the other hand, Afghanistan government should not lose its international partners. “Any policy that help consolidate our relations with the international community should be followed as political and military presence of our international partners can prevent from interferences of the neighboring countries in international affairs of Afghanistan,” Kohistani added. Previously, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in a letter to US President Donald Trump had asked not to pull all troops from Afghanistan but reduce them to 3,000.
Suraya Raiszada
