Afghanistan entered into worst turmoil since Trump’s south Asia strategy: Report

KABUL – Lawmakers in Afghanistan’s Lower House of Parliament, the WolesiJirga, said the scale of violence and proxy wars in the country haveincreased significantly following the US President Donald Trump’s new warstrategy announced last year.

Lawmakers noted that the United States is not honest in combating terrorismin Afghanistan.

“When there is tension between US and Iran and or between US and Russia orChina or Pakistan, then all these countries will fight against the US inAfghanistan,” said Abdul Rahim Ayubi, an MP.

Afghans government forces are fighting the Taliban and other insurgents inat least ten provinces at the moment, Ministry of Defense said.

“Afghanistan will not achieve peace and stability as long as we havemilitary dependence to US,” said Zalmai Mujaddidi, an MP.

“Security situation is not stable in many provinces in Afghanistan,” saidSakhi Mashwani, a lawmaker.

In August last year, Trump put forward a long-awaited strategy forresolving the nearly 16-year-old conflict in Afghanistan.

Trump said that the United States would put significant new pressure onPakistan to crack down on the terrorist sanctuaries that line its borderwith Afghanistan.

This comes a day after a number of members of Meshrano Jirga, the UpperHouse of Parliament, raised concerns regarding the security situation andsaid the United States is not doing enough to bring stability inAfghanistan.

The senators said based on the security agreement signed between Kabul andWashington, the US has a responsibility to defend Afghanistan.

According to the senators, the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) betweenKabul and Washington should be reviewed, because so far Afghanistan has notbeen stabilized in terms of security.

The senators said the US failed to implement the security agreement betweenAfghanistan and the US.

The National Unity Government and Washington signed the Bilateral SecurityAgreement (BSA) in 2014 in the hope of bringing peace and stability inAfghanistan. In addition to the BSA, Afghanistan also signed the Status ofForces Agreement (SOFA) with NATO.