US, Nato Reaffirm Afghan Mission

Source: Gulf Today

KABUL: US and Nato officials sought to reassure Afghans on Monday that Osama Bin Laden’s death will not weaken the international mission in Afghanistan, even as the Afghan president said the successful strike in Pakistan shows that the fight against terrorism should focus more outside his country’s borders.

The conflicting statements underscore the confusing nature of the war in Afghanistan, which has vacillated between building up the Afghan state and reducing troops down to small strike forces who just target high-profile terrorist leaders.

When he decided to expand the US military force in Afghanistan in 2009, President Barack Obama said the goal was to “disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaeda.” Now it’s unclear what Bin Laden’s death will mean for the future of Afghanistan, where about 150,000 Nato troops — most of them American — are embroiled in daily fighting with Taliban insurgents. On Saturday, the Taliban announced the beginning of their spring offensive after having shown their strength by launching a string of deadly attacks from within government and military compounds.

The American ambassador in Kabul promised Afghans that the US will not abandon Afghanistan now that Bin Laden has been eliminated.

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