WASHINGTON – US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Joseph F. Dunfordsaid on Tuesday that the United States has permanent interest in South Asiaand will maintain its presence to have influence in that region.

“We have permanent interests in South Asia, diplomatic interests andsecurity interests. And we’re going to maintain a presence to haveinfluence in that region. The diplomatic presence, the security presence,and the form of that presence is going to change over time,” he said whilespeaking at a press briefing at the Pentagon with Secretary of DefenseJames N. Mattis.

Gen. Dunford said that at one point, the United States had over a hundredthousand U.S. forces in Afghanistan as compared to 14,000 at present,adding there would be a permanent diplomatic mission in Afghanistan.

“There ‘ll be permanent diplomatic presence across South Asia, but Icertainly don’t expect that the current forces that we have in Afghanistanrepresents an enduring large military commitment,” he added.

US Secretary of States, Mattis, said that the United States would continueto work in South and informed that the UAE and Qatar have now joined theNATO-led campaign in Afghanistan as partner nations. He also stated that 32of the 39 nations which have already committed forces to the mission agreedto either increase or sustain the current force levels in Afghanistanthrough 2019.

He said that when reviewing the South Asia strategy, the administrationknew that it would take time. “We believe we can make — make progress rightnow”.

Replying to a question, Secretary Mattis said that the US was fullysupporting Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation efforts, and hardfighting is going on to convince the Taliban they must negotiate. He saidthat there were positive reasons to stick with the South Asia strategy and“we are going to drive this to a negotiated settlement, is our goal. Thatremains the same.”Asked about the South Asia strategy that was implemented in summer lastyear, Mattis referred to a recent statement by a Taliban leader who madespecific mention of negotiations as a way to bring an end to war.

“This one of the most forward-leaning statements made yet by a Talibansupreme leader, even as they conduct attacks designed to garner pressattention, costing lives, and they are now stripped, however, of anyreligious guise for an inhumane campaign against the Afghan people,” headded.

Gen. Dunford said that in the Central Command, the US remained focused onour mission in Afghanistan, the defeat-ISIS campaign in Iraq and Syria, andcountering Iran’s destabilizing influence across the region.

To a question, Secretary Mattis said to ensure that the American securitywas not threatened from the Afghan soil, “that involves the Afghan peoplebeing in control of their own future. This is why we talked about anAfghan-led Afghan-owned reconciliation process”. – APP