At a time when the Obama administration plans to pull out all combat troops by the end of 2014, General James N Mattis, chief of the US Central Command, has recommended the continued presence of 20,000 troops in the war-torn country beyond that date.
In his recommendation for post-2014 Afghanistan, Gen Mattis has proposed stationing 13,600 American troops and about half that number contributed by other NATO nations.
The Obama administration has been looking at a smaller number of US troops by way of a residual presence in Afghanistan after 2014. Pentagon spokesman George little has been quoted by The New York Times as saying that talks so far have focused on about 8,000 to 12,000, made up of both American and allied contributions. The US has 66,000 troops in Afghanistan right now.
“Our mission is succeeding. The Afghan campaign is on track. It is, obviously, a combination of progress and violence, but I would say when it comes down to the [Afghan] security forces, they are proving themselves capable,” Gen. Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee, yet confirming that he had recommended the continued deployment of 13,600 US troops.
The 352,000-strong Afghan security forces are already doing the bulk of the fighting “with our support”, he said, noting: “We’re seeing that these lads are willing to take it to the enemy. I think the Taliban have very little reason for comfort right now.”
Dealing with Iran in the course of his testimony, Gen. Mattis charged that country with carrying on clandestine activities in more than a dozen countries, including India.
“Iran remains the single most significant, regional threat to stability and prosperity. Its reckless behaviour and bellicose rhetoric, characterise a leadership that cannot win the affection of its own people or respect of any responsible nation in the region,” he said.
He referred to Iran’s continued support to the Assad regime in Syria and spoke of its “malign activities” in India, Iraq, Afghanistan, lebanon, Bahrain, Yemen, Gaza, Sudan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Thailand, Georgia, Bulgaria and Nigeria.
Without elaborating on activities relating to India, the general said: “Iran is actively expanding threat network that has promoted violence across the regions in Yemen, Gaza, Sudan, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. It provides financial and material support to overthrow or undermine governments or terrorise innocent civilians.”
The general also expressed the view that the sanctions against Iran, despite their sweep, were not really working in terms of its efforts to gain nuclear weapons capability. Nonetheless, he said the US will have to continue with the sanctions, but at the same time “have other options ready”.
On Pakistan, he expressed the view that US military relations with that country have been on an “improving trajectory” over the past eight months, adding: “We have some valid reasons to see it continue to improve into the near future as we try to get our two countries to find common ground wherever possible.”