Trump announces new troops in Afghanistan, takes a “militarist” turn

Aug 31, 2017

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said he wants to send fresh troops to Afghanistan, not “to construct democracies” but for the purpose of “killing terrorists.”

The Afghan government and NATO praised the decision, whilst the Taliban promised to turn the country into “another graveyard’ for the United States.

Trump’s decision is a major about-face in view of what the president said during his “America first” campaign.

Trump announced his new strategy in front of the troops at the Fort Myer military base in Arlington (Virginia).

For the US president, pulling US troops out of Afghanistan too quickly could create a vacuum that the terrorists could fill. So, despite his initial instinct of getting out, he decided instead to stay and “fight to win.”

The president also put pressure on neighbouring Pakistan, warning that the US would no longer tolerate it offering “safe havens” to “agents of chaos” — an accusation swiftly dismissed by a Pakistani army spokesman

Finally, the president did not rule out a “political settlement that includes elements of the Taliban” after an “effective military effort.”

Trump’s speech did not indicate any number for the US deployment, but some reports indicate that the president has approved 4,000 troops.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani welcomed the plan, saying, “The US-Afghan partnership is stronger than ever in overcoming the threat of terrorism to us all.”

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg also praised the move and said that the alliance, which has about 12,000 troops in Afghanistan, would not allow the country to become “a safe haven for terrorists who would attack our own countries.”

The Taliban’s response was different. “If America doesn’t withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, the country will soon become another graveyard for this superpower in the 21st century,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The Islamist group also vowed that it would continue its “jihad” as long as American troops remained in the country. -- AsiaNews