Not to think about reconciliation with the Taliban and driving them away from Afghanistan early on was a bad policy, the country’s acting foreign minister said on Wednesday.
Haneef Atmar said this while speaking in a video conversation with former US national security adviser, McMaster, hosted by Hoover Institute.
Another policy failure, Atmar, said was not to address the problem of sanctuaries outside Afghanistan.
He also pointed to failure to build the kind of state and governance that Afghan people deserved. “Corruption and state failures on many fronts were also significant failures that reduced the effectiveness of the combined efforts of Afghans and the international community.”
Atmar also said that the Afghan security forces should have been grown to the full extent of their capability and strength.
US President Donald
In February, the United States signed a deal with the Taliban based on which it would fully withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by May next year, conditions permitting.
Atmar said that the Afghan government also wants conditions-based withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.
He, however, noted that it is not just the Taliban that are being fought in Afghanistan, there are four groups of transnational terror networks.
“Those who believe that by ignoring terrorism or disengaging from fighting the terrorism we will be safe, unfortunately they need to think again,” Atmar said.
