Alwaght- As the US unveiled its new strategy in Afghanistan in late August, revealing controversial powers granted to the American forces has drown reaction and rejection of the Afghan government. The leverages, according to the American President Donald Trump, will allow the American commanders to launch military operations in any part of the country they see necessary.
Addressing the nation from Washington, the American leader talked about his new strategy in Afghanistan where the US forces have been serving for 16 years for the intention of the so-called battle against terrorism. He said that the American forces are now given further powers and that the US Air Force no longer needs coordination with or permission from the Afghanistan’s army to carry out bombing in any point of the war-torn country.
Responding to the American president’s remarks, General Dawlat Vaziri, the spokesman to the Afghanistan defense ministry, asserted that the foreign backers of the Afghan government including the US forces operating in the country were not authorized to conduct operations waywardly. He further said that any foreign-led operations had to take place after coordination with the chief of the general staff of the Afghan army.
Following the American president’s announcement of the new powers to the American military, a British newspaper disclosed in a report that the British army was designing secret operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan to assassinate the Taliban and ISIS leaders in the two countries. The daily noted that the clandestine plans are presented by the British military as it feels tangible power gain made by the Taliban and ISIS terrorist group in Afghanistan. The British government’s decision to do so has been made after a similar decision was made by the US, the newspaper maintained and added that the assassination plans are expected to come into effect secretly and without cooperation with the government of Afghanistan.
Unauthorized operations weaken Kabul government
Analysts suggest that the fresh approach that puts aside the Afghan government as a marginalized party in any decision-making process runs counter to the stated Western goals to fight terrorism in the country.
Despite the fact that the US and its partner Britain argue that the arbitrary offensives are meant to combat the expanding terrorism in Afghanistan, the measures not only fail to serve the counterterrorism campaign but also impair the central Afghanistan government, and unleash waves of instability that in turn will pave the way for boosted terrorists' presence in the war-ravaged country.
Additionally, the arbitrary assaults of the foreign forces are in fact a violation of sovereignty of the Afghanistan. If the Afghanistan-based foreign forces violate the Kabul government authority or decline to consult it on the potential military offensives, it will lose the resolution to firmly face the terrorist groups.
Violation of the Afghan authority will work for impairment of the legitimate Afghanistan administration. In the current tough time, unpermitted foreign operations cannot serve for the good of Kabul.
No withdrawal strategy prelude to long-term occupation
The US and Britain unveiled their new strategy but have refrained from setting date for their forces' withdrawal from Afghanistan to end the 16-year-long campaign. Foreign stay in Afghanistan, combined with the new disrespectful strategy, will damage the already-harmed independence of the central government. In a time that the Afghanistan government’s weakness is in its climactic point and the domestic instability is on the rise, withdrawal of the foreign forces is growing more and more unlikely or hardly feasible.
The US avoiding to present schedule for pulling forces out of Afghanistan means long-term stay in the country.
