Wednesday 23 August 2017

World reacts to Trump's new strategy on Afghan war

World reacts to Trump's new strategy on Afghan war

India, UK and NATO express support for US president's policy, but Pakistan, China and Russia offer little enthusiasm.

Politicians from across the world have reacted to US President Donald Trump's new strategy for the war in Afghanistan.

Trump vows to keep US troops in Afghanistan

A Pakistani army spokesman dismissed Trump's remarks, saying Pakistan had taken action against armed groups on its soil.

"There are no terrorist hideouts in Pakistan," spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif met US ambassador David Hale and reiterated the country's "desire for peace and stability in Afghanistan", a statement by the foreign ministry said.
He "underlined Pakistan's continued desire to work with the International Community to eliminate the menace of terrorism," the statement said.

NATO

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Trump's "conditions-based approach" and said the US-led alliance was committed to increasing its presence in Afghanistan.

He said: "Our aim remains to ensure that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists who would attack our own countries."

More than 12,000 troops from NATO and partner countries have been helping to "train, advise and assist" Afghan security forces since January 2015, after the alliance wound down combat operations there.infographic number of us troops Afghanistan

India

India has welcomed Trump's demand that Pakistan stops offering safe havens to armed groups and reaffirmed its policy of extending reconstruction aid to Afghanistan.

India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that it welcomed Trump's "determination to enhance efforts to overcome the challenges faced by Afghanistan and in confronting issues of safe havens and other forms of cross-border support enjoyed by terrorists".

Without naming its rival Pakistan, the ministry said: "India shares these concerns and objectives."
India has provided a total of $2bn to Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban.

United Kingdom

The UK welcomed Trump's commitment to step up the military campaign against the Taliban, saying the US and its allies must "stay the course in Afghanistan" to reduce threats to the West.
"The US commitment is very welcome," British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said in a statement.

"It's in all our interests that Afghanistan becomes more prosperous and safer: that's why we ‎announced our own troop increase back in June," he said.

China

China defended its ally Pakistan after Trump's sharp rebuke, saying the country was on the front line in the struggle against "terrorism" and had made "great sacrifices" and "important contributions" in the fight.

"We believe that the international community should fully recognise Pakistan's anti-terrorism," Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for China's foreign ministry, told a daily news briefing.

China hoped "the relevant US policies can help promote the security, stability and development of Afghanistan and the region," she said.

Russia

Russia does not believe Trump's new strategy will lead to any significant positive changes in Afghanistan, the Interfax news agency cited an unnamed Russian foreign ministry source as saying on Tuesday.

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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