Saturday, July 19, 2014

America’s top Afghan general admits 'significant' chance of al-Qaeda return --- General Joseph Dunford reveals doubts over withdrawal timetable and says he would have preferred not to be tied to schedule that requires all troops to be out by 2017 --- The general leading Nato’s war in Afghanistan has warned senators that al-Qaeda could return to the country and criticised the way the American withdrawal is based on a rigid timeframe. -- General Joseph Dunford’s doubts underline questions about whether Afghanistan is ready to go it alone when international combat troops end operations this year. -- He took command 18 months ago and has seen the number of American troops drop from 100,000 to 30,000, a figure that will fall to 9,800 by the end of the year as local forces lead the fight against the Taliban. -- Appearing before the Senate’s armed services committee, however, he said he wished Barack Obama’s decision to withdraw all troops by 2017 had been based on conditions on the ground rather than a fixed schedule. -- “All of us in uniform, including the Afghans, would have preferred that had been a bit more ambiguous,” he said. --- Although he paid tribute to growing effectiveness of Afghanistan’s army he also questions their ability to fulfill all the functions of American soldiers. -- “There’s no doubt that the Afghan forces of today are not capable of conducting the operations we’re conducting today,” he said. -- The result could be that Afghanistan reverts to a terrorist safe haven. -- When asked how likely it was that al-Qaeda and affiliated fighters could return, he rated the possibility as “significant”. -- Gen Dunford appeared as part of his confirmation to take charge of the Marine Corps when he leaves his current role. -- But with a political crisis still far from solved and a string of Taliban attacks in recent weeks, it was perhaps inevitable that the hearing would be dominated by questions about Afghanistan. -- Washington is still waiting for a security deal to be signed with Kabul allowing US forces to stay beyond the end of the year. -- Republican senators used the occasion to voice their own concerns. -- John McCain, who recently visited the country, said Afghans told him they felt they were being abandoned. -- “The fact is, we need a conditions-based decision,” he said. “Right now, we are not confident the Afghans can take up the complete burden for their own security.” -- The past week has seen a string of attacks. The Taliban launched an assault on Kabul airport on Thursday. Planes were diverted although gunmen failed to penetrate the facility. -- On Tuesday, a car bomb killed 42 people at a busy market in the east of the country. - More, Rob Crilly, Telegraph

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