KABUL - The Afghan defense officials have expressed optimisms that the new US strategy regarding Afghanistan will also focus on efforts to eliminate the sanctuaries of the terrorist groups fighting in Afghanistan.
The acting defense minister Gen. Tariq Shah Bahrami told reporters in Kabul that the Afghan government expects that the new strategy will be announced in the next one or two weeks.
Gen. Bahrami further added that a clear stance against the terrorist safe havens will help the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan besides bring pressures on the State-sponsors of the terrorist groups.
The US defense secretary James Mattis has said the new strategy of Washington about Afghanistan will include ‘Regional Approach’ as he expects to present his recommendations to President Donald Trump soon.
Speaking to the US lawmakers in the House Armed Services Committee last month, Mattis said the new U.S. strategy will take a “regional approach” rather than addressing the country’s long-running war in isolation.
“We are taking a regional approach to this…. We will take that forward to the president for a decision very soon,” he said.
This comes as the Afghan officials have long been insisting that the leadership councils of the Taliban group and the notorious Haqqani terrorist network are based in Peshawar, Quetta, and other parts of Pakistan from where they plan and coordinate attacks in Afghanistan.
The Afghan officials earlier said that the deadly explosion near the embassy of Germany in Kabul was plotted by the Haqqani network in Pakistan, although the leaders of the network and the Taliban have rejected their role in the devastating attack that killed over one hundred and fifty people.
“Afghan oriented militant groups, including the Taliban and Haqqani Network, retain freedom of action inside Pakistani territory and benefit from support from elements of the Pakistani Government,” Pentagon said in a report last month.
The report further added “Although Pakistani military operations have disrupted some militant sanctuaries, certain extremist groups—such as the Taliban and the Haqqani Network—were able to relocate and continue to operate in and from Pakistan. The United States continues to convey to Pakistan at all levels the importance of taking action against all terrorist and extremist groups.” (KP)