*WASHINGTON DC: *The Afghan military could pose a serious threat to thecountry’s security if international aid comes to an abrupt halt following apeace deal between the Taliban and the government, an official US reportsaid Thursday.
The findings come as the US seeks to broker a peace deal between theinsurgent fighters and the internationally recognized government led byPresident Ashraf Ghani to end 17 years of war.
“There are over 300,000 Afghans currently serving in the security forces,most of whom are armed,” said John Sopko, who heads the Office of theSpecial Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), whilepresenting his report in Washington.
“If, because of a loss of financial support, their paychecks were to stopcoming, this could pose a serious threat to Afghanistan’s stability.”
Since invading Afghanistan in 2001 to oust the then Taliban regime, The UShas poured more than $780 billion in aid into the country, 15 per cent ofwhich was spent on reconstruction.
Most of the reconstruction funds, 63 per cent or $83.1 billion, were spenton Afghan security services, including salaries, equipment, infrastructureand training, the report said.
In recent years, financial support for Afghan forces has been even morecritical, with $4.8 billion allocated in 2018, or 83 per cent of funds setaside for reconstruction.
“It does not take an advanced degree in mathematics to recognize that ifdonor support is decreased or eliminated – whether there is a peaceagreement or not — the Afghan government and its military in particular,will be in dire straits,” said Sopko.
The report warned that if an elusive peace deal is achieved, some 60,000heavily armedTaliban fighters will have to be peacefully reintegrated into Afghansociety, “as disaffected former Taliban who may have been expecting a peacedividend may return to violent and predatory behaviour.”
“Without financial support, the government of Afghanistan cannot survive,”it stressed.
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“Should peace come, if that peace is to be sustainable, it will come at anadditional price that only external donors can afford.
“That is why we have issued today’s report — to encourage policymakers tovigorously think about the ‘day after.’”
The US envoy seeking a peace deal with the Taliban is currently on a tripto Afghanistan and Pakistan that is scheduled to run through April 10.
The last negotiations between Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban closed onMarch 12 in Doha and appeared to make headway.
An outline of a deal is expected to see the United States withdrawing fromAfghanistan in return for the Taliban promising not to let the country beused by foreign extremists — the reason for the US attack following theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks.
But the talks have so far not included the Kabul government.
President Donald Trump has voiced impatience with continuing America’slongest war and late last year ordered the withdrawal of half the14,000-strong US troop contingent. – APP/AFP
