A sustainable support to Afghanistan has been stressed in the meetings of NATO’s defense ministers in Brussel. The NATO’s secretary said in a press conference that the state members were committed to support Afghanistan and would not let it be changed into the safe haven for terrorist groups.
On the other hand, the US defense minister said that the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan in 2014 was a cursory decision and emphasized on resending US troops to the country. Besides being welcomed by many individuals at home and abroad, the strategy of sending more troops to Afghanistan has triggered a sense of concern and called unnecessary by some neighboring countries. However, Afghan government welcomed the decision of the NATO’s defense ministers in Brussel. Afghanistan has urged NATO and the US that the fresh forces should play supportive and advisory role and equip Afghan soldiers. It seems that all demands of Afghanistan were considered in the recent NATO meetings and its secretary asked Pakistan to target the safe havens of terrorists in its soil.
The Demands of the National Unity Government and their Reflection in Brussel Meeting:
Besides demanding the support of international community for war on global terror, Afghan government believes that sending military forces will not put an end to security crisis. According to the government, supporting and equipping Afghan forces on the one hand, putting political pressure on terrorist backers and targeting the sanctuary of terrorists across the border on the other hand, will ensure security.
Based on the information sent to the media, increasing commanders, equipping the air force and eliminating the sanctuaries of terrorist networks across the Afghan border were Afghanistan’s demands from the US and NATO.
The number of military forces being agreed to be sent to Afghanistan is not clear and depends on the declaration of the US strategy. However, NATO has stressed the forces will be sent for training and boosting the capacity of Afghan soldiers. The troops will also support air forces and Special Forces based on the four-year Afghanistan’s security plan which is in accordance with the demands of NUG.
The Realities of Afghanistan and NATO’s Decision:
The opinion that only military action will not alleviate the challenges in Afghanistan has many supporters at home and outside. Multifaceted mechanism for tackling the crises should be adopted and it should be noted that there is a need for strong military forces for sustainable security in Afghanistan.
Moreover, the past decade and half, in addition to the country’s historical realities, show that the presence of foreign forces will not be able to break the deadlock. Therefore, it will more effective if Afghanistan shoulder the security issue with the support of international community. It is has been realized that the presence of foreign forces will lead to regional sensitivities and Afghanistan stresses on fulfilling its responsibilities by itself despite paying heavy casualties.
Politically, Afghanistan ushered in making great efforts to make the international community and mainly neighboring countries and the region realize the nature, aspect and objectives of the war in Afghanistan and join forces to put an end to the threats.
The Outlook on Security and War on Terror in Afghanistan
The security situation is perilous in Afghanistan and more than twenty terrorist groups, including civil militant fighters, are operating actively for deteriorating the situation and creating chaos. The graph of combatant and non-combatant casualties is on rise since the militants changed the tactic of war recently. Disturbing the society’s mental piece, targeting citizens across the cities, triggering mistrust between state and nation, and shattering discipline are parts of their tactic.
The resistance of Afghan security forces and their great sacrifices are appreciable in combating terrorism. The Special Forces had great achievements within the two years and changed the battles in favor of the state. Despite having lack of equipment, the Afghan air forces also inflicted heavy casualties upon the militants and barred them from gaining the upper hand.
The Afghanistan’s four-year security plan is being implemented and we will witness considerable changes in security institutions in the process of time. Moreover, the international community were said to send equipment to air forces and support to Commander Forces. The state leaders seek more actively than any other time to form a political consensus.
Hence, based on measures were and being adopted in the country and the continuation of international support to Afghanistan, the outlook on security is likely to be promising in near future and the security situation will develop gradually.