US President Donald Trump's Afghanistan strategy will succeed only if the Taliban agrees to come to the negotiating table for peace talks. But in the wake of multiple attacks in Kabul last month, Trump ruled out any such talks, at least in the near future, thereby contradicting his strategy.
There seems to be no end in sight for US's war with Taliban, something that has been going on for 16 years. And several lawmakers feel no significant progress will take place under Trump as well, as Trump's new strategy has not been bringing much results. The terrorist attacks in the first weeks of 2018 underscored the lack of success in stabilizing the nation. Also, it should be noted that the Taliban currently controls at least half of Afghanistan, and people are losing their trust in the US's capability to hold insurgents at bay.
"Something is clearly not working," said Senator Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat and longtime Afghan war critic, at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday. "By any standard, the current security situation is grim."
Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky is another longtime war critic who feels there's no hope. "I feel sorry for putting the military in this position," he said.
Hopes for a better future
US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, who is overseeing the White House strategy, said all Afghan leaders have "reiterated their support for our strategy," and promised to create "the conditions that will bring the Taliban to the negotiation table."
During Tuesday's hearing, Sullivan also clarified Trump's remarks about his unwillingness to negotiate with Taliban, saying it was a "reaction to the horrible terrorist activities last month in Kabul. Significant elements of the Taliban are not prepared to negotiate and it may take a long time before they are willing to negotiate." But some factions do find a place at the table, he said.
Condemning the 2018 January Kabul attacks, Trump had said negotiations with Taliban was no longer possible.
"We don't want to talk with the Taliban," Trump said following last month's Kabul attacks that left more than 100 dead. "They are killing people left and right, innocent people."
"There may be a time but it's going to be a long time," Trump said.
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