‘US to keep its troops in Afghanistan only for intelligence purposes’

http://rt.com/op-edge/us-troops-in-afghanistan-654/



‘US to keep its troops in Afghanistan only for intelligence purposes’
Published time: February 25, 2014 12:14

Washington’s claims that they keep 3,000 troops in Afghanistan to enhance the country’s military don’t make sense, Mohammad Daud Miraki, an Afghan activist, writer and politician, told RT.

During the years Western forces occupied Afghanistan the US hasn’t invested effectively into the larger agenda of nation-building, it simply maintained existing institutions and trained Afghan military, but did not provide them with anything, Miraki said. “The only thing they have provided to the Afghan military forces is a uniform and a few outdated weapons,” he said.

RT: The US is now considering leaving a reduced contingent in Afghanistan after the 2014 withdrawal, which would mean 3,000 troops instead of 10,000. But will 3,000 troops be much use?

Mohammad Daud Miraki: It all depends what they are leaving them for. If they leave them for training purposes than it should be enough, but if they are leaving (them) for defensive purposes, then it certainly doesn't serve any purpose. In light of the larger force of NATO and the US, they have been quite ineffective, considering the caliber of their capacity.