Afghanistan Times
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The United States President Donald Trump said that he’ll leave ‘very strong intelligence’ in Afghanistan, maintaining that he wants the US to “just get out” of the 18-year mire of a campaign in Afghanistan, has now said he won’t do that after all – leaving behind a “very strong” intelligence presence. In an interview to Fox News’ ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’, Trump said that he still wanted to pull US troops out of Afghanistan, in line with his previous pledge, but cannot do so since the country has turned into a breeding ground for terrorists in the wake of the US intervention in 2001. Trump made the statement when special envoy Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad announced Germany and Qatar are going to host a joint intra-Afghan dialogue at Doha on 7th and 8th of current July. It could be third after two held in previous January and May respectively. Both the events, despite some pros and cons considered too much fruitful as it enabled the warring leaders to shake hands and talks to each other’s on national, communal and even family matters with each other’s. “Look, I would like to just get out. The problem is it just seems to be a lab for terrorists, I call it a Harvard of Terrorists,” Trump told host Tucker Carlson. Pressed on whether he plans to “be getting out entirely,” Trump echoed the argument made by his Republican predecessor George W. Bush, who started what has become the longest war in US history. America has lost close to 2,500 people and nearly a trillion dollars to the conflict, without coming anywhere near stamping out the Taliban, which, according to a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) this year, controls just under half of the country’s territory. “You know, no matter how you feel, but if you are standing there near to some very talented military people saying: “I would rather attack them over there, than have them hit us over here and fight them on our land’ – that’s something you have to think about,” Trump said. For that purpose, Trump said the US would be leaving “very strong intelligence” in Afghanistan. “Far more than you would normally think,” he told Carlson without elaborating. No one can neglect the fact that the US just for winning “war on terror” give access to intelligence and spy agencies of “allied countries” especially neighbouring and regional countries. Such a decision on the part of US administration has made the matters derailed in Afghanistan. Instead of getting rid of terrorist and extremist organs by killing of Al Qaeda commander Osama Bin Laden near to a military academy in Abbottabad Pakistan on May 2, 2011, the US earned much more terror and violent in Afghanistan. Almost terrorists involved in violence across Afghanistan are being sheltered and facilitated in regional and neighboring countries. Through such tactics, the spy agents of various regional and neighboring countries are not only active but playing key role in sponsoring of deadly terrorist acts. With each passing day violence is increasing in the already war-stricken motherland whereas those who have claimed of helping return peace and reconciliation now jubilating miseries of helpless and innocent people. Now it is the time for the US administration to ensure folding of all those spy and intelligence network of allies in Afghanistan as its presence could revert late 90 like situation when Afghanistan was considered a “paradise” for militants and terrorists from all over the world. Khalilzad’s efforts considered ray of hopes for almost war affected Afghans but its success needs sincere support of US and its allies.
