KABUL: US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter reiterated Washington’s support for courageous Afghan security forces on Tuesday, days after the United States and NATO pledged to keep thousands of troops in the country.
He spoke as President Ashraf Ghani welcomed the environment of trust between Washington and Kabul at a joint news conference in the Afghan capital. “The Afghan security forces have demonstrated the motivation, the will and the resilience in the face of a persistent enemy,” Carter said.
“I have confidence in the ability of the Afghan forces to provide for the stability and security that the Afghan people deserve and I commend them for fighting courageously last year during a tough fighting season.” The Pentagon chief’s ‘unannounced’ visit follows a renewed commitment to Afghanistan from NATO, which said over the weekend it would keep forces there until the end of 2017 at least.
Most are American, but around 40 countries have deployed troops there. Their official role is to train Afghan forces, which are now responsible for their country’s security. Despite a massive, nearly 15-year international effort to defeat the Taliban, the resurgent group controls large areas of Afghanistan and has vowed to keep fighting until foreign forces leave.
Both Carter and Ghani also addressed the role of Pakistan. While stressing the US would work with Pakistan wherever it can on extremism, Carter warned that Washington would continue to target and strike terrorist leaders everywhere in the world where they might threaten “Americans or our interests and our friends.”
“Pakistan has a fundamental decision to make,” Ghani said. “There is no difference between good terrorists and bad terrorists,” he said. “Corruption is as dangerous as terrorism,” he also said, vowing to account for every penny with full transparency. Carter’s visit followed a brief trip to Baghdad on Monday, where he pledged hundreds of additional US troops to assist Iraqis fighting the IS group.
Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz already said that Pakistan can go to Central Asian states if peace returns to Afghanistan. “Pakistan wants peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan, which is in favour of Pakistan,” he said, adding that key to Afghan problem lies in restoration of peace therein. “Pakistan and Afghanistan are making joint efforts for peace,” he said.
During his recent visit to meet troops at forward bases in North and South Waziristan tribal areas, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif also said that Pakistan would do all efforts to protect integrity and sovereignty of Afghanistan but expects the same level of commitment from the neighbouring country. “Pakistan will not allow anyone to use its soil against Afghanistan,” he said.
