Justice minister, DGA chief discuss partnership to boost digital judicial services    Netanyahu does not rule out further strikes on Hamas leaders    US farmers are being squeezed – and it's testing their deep loyalty to Trump    Romania condemns 'irresponsible' Moscow after Russian drone breaches its airspace    Kirk's assassination is forcing US politicians to make difficult choices about their safety    India players refused handshakes, says Pakistan coach    Final stage of Spanish Vuelta cycling race abandoned after disruption by pro-Palestine protesters    Mané fires Al Nassr past Al Kholood to keep perfect start as Ronaldo honored    Lacazette brace earns NEOM SC first Saudi Pro League win    Adolescence star Owen Cooper makes Emmys history at 15    Saudi liquidity grows 8.4%, reaching SR3.1 trillion in July 2025    Over 434,000 people acquire first aid skills during nationwide health campaign    Saudi Arabia's legislative advancement highlighted at International Conference on Judicial Training    Sudden swerving among 3 major causes of accidents in Riyadh in 2024    Princess Haifa emphasizes pivotal Saudi role in shaping future of tourism    Sahm Capital names Saudi Olympian Fayik Abdi as brand ambassador    SR9000 fine for copyright infringement using AI    King Charles and Prince Harry finally reunite after 19 months apart    Anastacia: Arnold Schwarzenegger made me sing Whatta Man 12 times    Thousands pay their last respects to Giorgio Armani, private funeral on Monday    The key to happiness    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Trump's Afghan dilemma
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 03 - 07 - 2017

AFGHANISTAN, according to President Barack Obama, was the "good" war as opposed to Iraq which he described as a "dump" war. The US military went to Afghanistan in 2001 to dislodge the Taleban from power. Taleban was supposed to have harbored Al-Qaeda which President George W. Bush held responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks on America.
Taleban was toppled from power in no time. Since then, the news coming from Afghanistan has been anything but good. Of late, it has become frighteningly bad. Taleban lost power, but none of its vigor or fighting qualities, if spectacular attacks it stages from time to time are anything to go by. It can mount attacks anywhere including the heavily fortified Kabul and at any time. Insurgents now control more territory than at any time since the war. That is not the only problem. The Afghanistan government is so weak, incompetent and corrupt that it can't command the loyalty of the Afghan people, a prerequisite for the success of any undertaking. It has failed miserably to protect not only the Afghan civilians but also the Afghan security forces who suffered the heaviest casualty last year.
Nothing illustrates the pathetic state of affairs better than President Ashraf Ghani's call to Taleban to stop attacks if they wanted to be invited to join the peace process he has launched.
This was not how the war which has the support of the United Nations and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) were to develop. Both Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton all but ignored the Afghan war, America's longest, during the campaign trail. Unlike Obama, Trump did not hold a full-scale National Security Council meeting to discuss the ongoing war immediately after he assumed office. But that does not mean Afghanistan has ceased to be the most serious foreign policy crisis he is facing, even though North Korea made headlines immediately after Trump entered the White House and he made some threatening noises. But America's security establishing is really concerned about Afghanistan. What is more, the president's defense chief, who had earlier served in Afghanistan, is for some new, dramatic initiative on Afghanistan. Mainly, he wants a limited surge of troops in that country. In his first major decision as commander in chief, Obama promised 17,000 troops for Afghanistan. Though Trump has not taken a final decision, he is under pressure to do something if only to embellish his national security credentials and to divert attention from North Korea about which he made the kind of bellicose statements President Bush did about Iraq before the 2003 invasion to destroy Saddam Hussein's nonexistent weapons of mass destruction.
There are two questions: There were more than 100,000 troops in Afghanistan at one time. If they could not subdue the growth in insurgency, what can a modest increase in troops accomplish?
The second question is whether the US has clearly defined goals in Afghanistan. In 2001, the aim was to destroy Al-Qaeda. Then focus shifted to Taleban. Now there is talk of defeating Daesh (the so-called IS). In between there were grandiose plans to bring democracy and liberate Afghan women. Of late what we hear is the need to reach out to moderates in the Taliban. A modest increase in troops is supposed to split moderate Taliban sympathizers from the hardcore leadership. Nobody asks the question why should Taleban, moderate or extremist, should now make things easy for Americans or US-backed Ashraf Ghani regime. In the ultimate analysis, America's troubles in Afghanistan have much to do with the wrong decision–making process after 9/11. The real question is whether Trump who was opposed to America's foreign entanglements would separate Afghanistan from Bush's "War on Terror".


Clic here to read the story from its source.