Afghanistan Times
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It has been for a second time that U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed a strong desire to end the Afghan war. In announcing his new Afghanistan strategy in 2017, Trump warned against a hasty withdrawal, adding that America’s enemies must never know their plans or believe they can wait them out. Time and again termed U.S. presence conditions-based, rather than time-based. Moreover,Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made news this week by suggesting that President Donald Trump has instructed him to pursue troop reductions in Afghanistan by Election Day 2020. It indicates that condition will be suitable in that time to pullout at least half of the current troops in Afghanistan. Whatever might be the condition, but one thing is very much clear that war in Afghanistan has intensified as both Afghan forces and the Taliban insurgents attempt to increase their leverage in ongoing peace talks. Taliban trying to show U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad that they have upper hand in the battlefield and also control more territory—something which is nothing more than an illusion. There is no province which they control. Anyways, Khalilzad is set to begin a fresh round of talks with Taliban and looks very much optimistic about a good deal with the Taliban. Whatever could be textured at the end of day from ongoing peace process, troops withdrawal, peace deal with Taliban, elections, etc… including political instability, one thing is clear that Mr. Trump has a very clear mistake in demonstrating its strategy to end war in Afghanistan. Similarly, he also has a very miscalculation to end war in Afghanistan. Trump has once again warned that American troops could win the Afghan war within days by killing millions. According to him, U.S. forces bogged down in the country for nearly two decades, could win Afghanistan in two days or three days or four days, but not looking to kill million people. In a similar comment in July, Trump spoke about 10 million casualties but this time he specified that no nuclear weapons would be involved as he is taking conventional. Mr. Trump, think logically, how it is possible or who will let you to carry such a comprehensive military operation. The blood of Afghans and Americans has the same color, which is red. Our face is the same as yours. Such type of statements is absolutely hurting the Afghans, and undermining Afghanistan’s independence, and national sovereignty. Moreover, it is not logical at all. It’s like killing the patient instead of the disease. Furthermore, Trump’s aggressive rhetoric betrays an old-fashioned and frankly concerning perspective on war and peace. It also explores the failure of President Trump to grasp what an effective military strategy looks like in the modern era.
