Afghanistan Times
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Abdul Zuhoor Qayomi-KABUL: The experts believe that Russian weapons will prove more effective in war against terrorism, than the weapons provided by NATO and US to Afghan security forces.
Jawed Kohestani, a military and political analyst, told Afghanistan Times that Russian weapons will prove helpful in war against terrorism. He argued that former army soldiers and the mujahedeen who fought against the Soviet Union are already familiar with Russian weapons.
Head of the Defense Committee of the Wolesi Jirga, Iqbal Safi, was also optimistic about Russia’s military support to Afghanistan. He said that Russia’s support to Afghan security forces will prove helpful in fight against terrorism. Safi said that presence of NATO troops in Afghanistan will be an obstacle before Russia’s support to the country. “Afghans welcome military support of any country, particularly Russia,” he added.
He said that fall of Kunduz province to the Taliban has raised concerns of Moscow. “Russia considers insecurity in Kunduz as threat to the Central Asian region,” he asserted.
It is worth mentioning that the northern Kunduz province shares border with Tajikistan.
Security analysts believe that lack of sufficient weapons, particularly helicopters and fighter jets, is one of the main challenges faced by the Afghan security forces in war against militancy. The US and NATO didn’t provide enough weapons and aircrafts to Afghan forces over the past 14 years.
Igor Morozov, a member of the Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Committee on International Affairs, recently said that Afghanistan needed Russia’s military support.
Talking about his meeting with a number of Afghan lawmakers, Morozov said that the parliamentarians supported Russia’s actions in Syria. “The lawmakers urged Russia to provide military and technical support to Afghan forces,” he added. He said that the parliamentarians asked Moscow to provide modern military equipment, ammunition and helicopters to Afghan forces. “Kunduz city would not have fallen to the Taliban, if Afghan security forces had helicopters,” he quoted the lawmakers as saying.
The Vice-President, Abdul Rashid Dustom, in his recent visit to Russia urged the country to lend its military support to Afghanistan.
Sultan Faizi, spokesman for Dostum, told media that Afghan forces are in severe need of modern military equipment in war against militancy. He said that Russia has pledged to support to Afghan forces.
