WASHINGTON – Asserting that the Taliban and the Haqqani network enjoy safehavens in the border regions of Pakistan, a top US Army General told thelawmakers Thursday that it was difficult to contain the insurgency inwar-torn Afghanistan if Islamabad continues to harbour terrorists on itssoil.
“It’s very, very difficult to eliminate any insurgency if that insurgencyhas a safe haven in another country. But right now, the Taliban, theHaqqanis and other organisations do, in fact, enjoy some safe haven in theborder regions on the Pakistani side of the border. Pakistan has got to bepart of the solution,” General Mark A Milley, Chief of Staff of the USArmy, told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing.
Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, he said to the endinsurgency in Afghanistan, it was important to reduce the threat ofterrorism something that can be handled on a routine basis by the internalsecurity forces.
“In order to do that, you have to essentially do several things. Youmentioned Pakistan. That is key. It’s important that Pakistan is part ofthe solution. It’s a regional solution. Part of our strategy is a regionalstrategy. That very much involves Pakistan,” Milley said.
Responding to a question on reconciliation, he said the Afghan governmentwas on the path right now to establish some sort of politicalreconciliation with various opponent groups. The US is in support of thateffort, Milley added.
“So it’s important that we realign the forces, that we reinforce thecapabilities that we’re already doing, and that we regionalise the problem,including Pakistan, and that there’s some sort of reconciliation process.At the end of the day, that’s how that ends, and it ends successfully, andI believe that’s achievable,” the general said.
Milley said it was in the national security interest of the United Statesto maintain troops in Afghanistan.
One of the American objectives since 2001 has been that Afghanistan nolonger was a platform for terrorists to conduct strikes on the continentalUnited States, or in the United States.
“That’s key. That’s why we’re there, and that’s why we’re still there,” hesaid, adding that this can be achieved through a stable Afghanistan.
“So what does that look like? It means that the armed opposition, theTaliban, Haqqani network, Al-Qaida, ISIS, K and all these other groups arereduced in terms of capability that they no longer present an existentialthreat to the regime in Kabul and that the Afghan National Security Forcesare at large,” he said.
“Their army, their police, their intelligence forces can handle the violentthreat against the regime at a level that is something akin to crime orbanditry,” Milley said.