KABUL – The outgoing commander of US and international troops in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, insisted on Thursday that despite a recent wave of violence, Trump’s strategy of an open-ended deployment of U.S. military advisers, trainers and special operations forces and increased air support for Afghan forces is succeeding.
“I believe the strategy is working. … The reconciliation progress is significant and ultimately wars end with a political settlement,” said US Army General John Nicholson, commander of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission.
Trump, however, has expressed frustration at the lack of progress toward a US withdrawal after 17 years of conflict. In a policy shift during a June ceasefire, Washington said it would “support, facilitate and participate” in any Kabul government-led peace talks with the Taliban.
The surge in Taliban attacks, including an assault recently on the Ghazni province that took US-backed Afghan forces four days to put down, has raised questions about their interest in negotiations.
Nicholson acknowledged the Afghan government had not significantly increased its control over territory. While he said the Taliban have not responded to an offer this week of a ceasefire from President Ashraf Ghani, two insurgent commanders told Reuters that the insurgents rejected the call.
In a possible wrinkle, the Taliban said it would send senior members to Russia for peace talks on Afghanistan, hours after the Afghan government declined the offer to attend. Washington has also said it would not go.
