US general concerned about Afghan government stability

By Kasim Ileri

WASHINGTON

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said Friday he is hopeful about the ability of Afghan forces to secure the country once the number of American troops is reduced.

“If I were to characterize how the Afghan security forces performed last year, I would say they were tested and they prevailed,” Army Gen. John Nicholson said. “This year, they went into the year with a campaign plan which last year was more of a reaction to enemy activity.”

Nicholson said Afghan counter-terrorism forces have successfully taken on the Taliban and all other small al-Qaeda-linked terror groups as well as Deash affiliates throughout the year while also defending key cities such as Kunduz and Lashkargah against several major Taliban insurgences.

“I can tell you this is a sign of an army that's growing in capability, that's maturing in terms of its ability to handle simultaneity and complexity on the battlefield,” he said.

The analysis, however, runs counter to comments by defense officials who have said security in Afghanistan is deteriorating and the U.S. would reduce troops there by the end of the year.

There are currently 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan and it would be reduced to 8,400 by the end of this year.

An area of concern for Nicholson is the potential for division to disrupt the government.

"In addition to improving the corruption and leadership situation, we also obviously are concerned about the stability of the Afghan government going forward," he said. “One possible risk of Afghan political instability is a fracture, but we have not seen this happen within the security forces."

Iran and Russia’s rhetoric and tacit support for the Taliban is also a concern, he said.

"We're concerned about the external enablement of the insurgent or terrorist groups inside Afghanistan, in particular where they enjoy sanctuary or support from outside governments," according to Nicholson.

A potential convergence of the 20 terror groups in the country could at some point cooperate against the government, he said.