DUSHANBE, July 4, 2011, Asia-Plus — Beginning of withdrawal of the U.S. troops from Afghanistan will not lead to deterioration of the situation in Afghanistan and the Central Asian region, the Islamic Republic Party (IRP) deputy chairman Umarali Hisaynov, who is also member of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament), said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
He considers that introduction of troops of the United States and its allies to Afghanistan did not play any positive role in stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan. “Long presence of them in this country may negatively impact the process of establishment of peace and accord in Afghanistan and lead to instability in the region,” Hisaynov said.
According to him, the main objective of so-called peacekeeping operation of the NATO-led international security assistance force (ISAF) in Afghanistan was to fight the Al-Qaeda network and annihilation of the Al-Qaeda network leader Osama bin Laden. “This goal is achieved and further presence of the NATO-led troops in Afghanistan is illogical,” the IRP deputy leader said.
U.S. President Barack Obama has announced the withdrawal of 10,000 US troops from Afghanistan this year and another 23,000 by the end of September 2012. According to international media outlets, President Obama said it was “the beginning, but not the end, of our effort to wind down this war”. At least 68,000 US troops will remain in Afghanistan.
All US combat troops are reportedly scheduled to leave by 2013, provided that Afghan forces are ready to take over security.
The US reductions are larger and faster than military commanders had advised. They reportedly told the president that the recent security gains were fragile and reversible, and had urged him to keep troop numbers high until 2013.
