Taliban flay delay; ready for ‘conditional’ dialogue

Obama has twice altered the timeline to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan. Yet, by Obama’s own admission, those improvements haven’t made Afghanistan self-sufficient. White House officials said they were still pleased with the progress Obama had made in drastically reducing the number of US troops from a high of about 100,000 in 2010 and ending America’s direct combat role.

He promised to end the war on his watch.

Last week, the top USA military commander in Afghanistan, Gen John Campbell, described the security situation as “tenuous” and said an enhanced military presence would be necessary if the Taliban were to be repelled.

Earlier this year, after a meeting with visiting Afghan President Ghani here, Obama announced no reduction of the current 9,800 US troops stationed in Afghanistan will occur through the end of 2015.

Afghan forces, with the help of USA advisers and equipment, were able to take back the city earlier this week.

The Taliban have vowed to intensify attacks on American targets, denouncing as “illogical” the USA decision to slow down troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Obama’s announcement contradicts his 2012 campaign promise to pull all troops out of that country by the end of 2014.

Reversing policy on Afghanistan, President Barack Obama announced on Thursday he will prolong the 14-year-old us military engagement there, effectively handing off the task of pulling out troops to his successor.

US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said following the announcement that he believed North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies will renew or adjust their contributions to the US-led coalition.

“Taliban advances in parts of the country underscore the reality that this is, and remains, a hard fight”, he said.

India is also concerned about Pakistan moving to reoccupy space left behind by U.S. pullout, as it did post 1989, turning Afghanistan into a hub for terrorists from all over the world.

Obama had originally planned to withdraw all but a small embassy-based force from Afghanistan in late 2016, shortly before he leaves office.

“They will be focused on the two missions: going after Al-Qaida and terrorist threats that emerge; and making sure that we don’t have a resurgence of al-Qaida”.

Now, with a resurgent Taliban controlling as much of Afghanistan as it had at any point since hosting Osama Bin Laden in 2001, Obama committed to keeping three military bases along with a force of 9,800 there. The administration estimates that the plan will cost $14.6 billion a year.