US president's decision to keep troops in Afghanistan draws mixed reactions

United States President Barack Obama's announcement to keep 5,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan into 2017 came at a time when Taliban militant groups have intensified attacks and Afghans have expressed both hope and uncertainty as to whether the move will bring peace and normalcy to the country.

"Obama's decision to maintain this number of troops will not work, and will not change the route of war unless the Afghan politicians in the national unity government put their differences aside and unite the people to struggle against the ongoing insurgency," Zulmai Wardak, a respected political analyst, told local media, Tolo News, on Friday.

On Thursday, Obama announced Washington's plans to keep 5,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan into 2017, and to maintain the current 9,800 forces throughout most of next year.

Obama had previously planned to reduce the current level of troops in Afghanistan to around 5,500 by the end of 2015 and withdraw all troops by the end of 2016 when his presidency comes to an end, leaving only about 1,000 soldiers to provide security for U.S. diplomatic mission in the county.

When asked why the U.S. has opted to maintain its forces through 2017, Wardak said that, "the decision was made to safeguard the interests of the U.S. and its western allies. The plan was aiming to enhance the gains made by the U.S. and its allies in Afghanistan over the past decade. And that the U.S. does not want the achievements made over the past 14 years to be reversed."

Wardak, a former military general, also said that the Taliban's recent attacks to secure territory over the past months were aimed at showing that the Afghan security forces are not capable enough to maintain security in the country.

"It is on Afghan leaders and politicians now, especially after the recent U.S. decision on keeping troops, to further focus on equipping Afghan forces and supporting them in providing sustainable security and stability," he said.

Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has welcomed Obama's decision to keep the current level of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

"It shows renewal of our partnership and strengthening of relations," Ghani said on his twitter account, while emphasizing that Afghanistan has remained determined to strengthen the relations between Kabul and Washington in their joint efforts to fight terrorism and ensure peace.

"A drop in numbers of U.S. forces staying in the country would not have any positive impact on the security situation and in my opinion, the latest decision of the U.S. president to keep 5,500 troops will also only serve to prolong the fighting," Afghan analyst, Seddiq Patman, told the local publication.

He said the decision was not made in consideration of the actual situation in Afghanistan. "It is not adequate. If the American wants to help secure Afghanistan, their decisions must be proportional to the existing circumstances and risks in Afghanistan."

General John F. Campbell, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, praised Obama's move, saying that the decision "provides us the ability to further develop a lasting strategic relationship with our Afghan partners and allows us to counter the rise of violent extremism in a volatile part of the world."

He said that this decision also serves notice to our common enemies: their war against the legitimate Afghan government, the Afghan people, the international community, and our shared values, remains futile.

It is time for them to lay down their arms and enter the political process, he added.

"Our continued efforts to stabilize Afghanistan will benefit the entire region, and in turn, offer greater security for the U.S. homeland and Americans abroad and at home ... we will work to solidify the gains made by our coalition over the last 14 years," Campbell added.

At the same time, the Taliban has downplayed the news that U.S. troops will now be in the country in 2017. The militant group said that the "nonsensical decision" was not in the interests of the United States and Afghanistan. The Taliban said that the decision would definitely increase "fighting and war causalities" in the region.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, said in a statement that the Taliban fighters will intensify their attacks on U.S. forces, and their centers across Afghanistan.

"The Americans must focus on equipping Afghan forces instead of delaying their withdrawal. In my opinion, U.S. forces staying will not end the ongoing clashes," Ahmad Nawid, a Kabul resident, told Xinhua.

"The Taliban pretext to fight and kill people will only strengthen. We found after the Taliban attacks small towns and districts, our troops complain of a lack of weapons and ammunition. The Afghan forces do not have enough planes and helicopters to engage the insurgents and repel their attacks," Nawid added.

"U.S. forces staying to train Afghan troops does not seem to be logical. We have experienced military experts in the Afghan army to do this job. We have had brave soldiers with high morale but they mostly complain of inadequate weapons and a lack of air support to deal with insurgents during complex attacks," he concluded.
 Xinhua -China.org.cn 17/10/15
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