ISLAMABAD – US President Donald Trump, at a cabinet meeting on Wednesdayhas reportedly insisted on regional countries’ role in Afghanistan and saidRussia and Pakistan should be fighting in Afghanistan, not the UnitedStates.
“So you take a look at other countries – Pakistan is there. They should befighting. But Russia should be fighting. The reason Russia was inAfghanistan was because terrorists were going into Russia. They were rightto be there. The problem is it was a tough fight,” Trump said.
Trump seemed to misstate the former Soviet Union’s involvement inAfghanistan by saying: “Russia used to be the Soviet Union. Afghanistanmade it Russia because they went bankrupt fighting in Afghanistan. Thereason Russia was in Afghanistan was because terrorists were going intoRussia. They were right to be there.”
Trump brought up India’s aid during a rambling press appearance at thecabinet meeting as he defended his push for the United States to investless overseas.
While stating that he got along with PM Modi, the US President said Modiwas “constantly telling me he built a library in Afghanistan”.
“You know what that is? That’s like five hours of what we spend,” he said.
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“And we’re supposed to say, ‘Oh, thank you for the library.’ I don’t knowwho’s using it in Afghanistan,” Trump said.
It was unclear to which project Trump was referring, but India hascommitted $3 billion in assistance to Afghanistan since US-led forcestoppled the Taliban regime after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Projects have included the reconstruction of an elite high school in Kabuland scholarships to India for 1,000 Afghan students each year.
The remarks during the 95-minute cabinet meeting at the White House gavenew insight into Trump’s vision of Afghanistan and his frustration with thestalemate in the war-torn country – as well as with the generals who haveadvised him to stay, including his just-departed defense secretary, JamesMattis.
