LOC10:59
07:59 GMT
WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (KUNA) -- US President Donald Trump said late Monday that a hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan "would create a vacuum for terrorists," including the so-called Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda "would instantly fill just as happened" before the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Addressing the nation on Afghanistan from Fort Myer, Virginia, Trump seemed to break from a position he held in the past to pull out of Afghanistan, as he stressed that the security threats faced in Afghanistan, "and the broader region are immense," and that "no one denies that we have inherited a challenging and troubling situation in Afghanistan and South Asia."
He indicated that currently, 20 US-designated foreign terrorist organizations are active in Afghanistan and Pakistan, "the highest concentration in any region anywhere in the world.
"For its part, Pakistan often gives safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror. The threat is worse because Pakistan and India are two nuclear-armed states whose tense relations threaten to spiral into conflict. And that could happen," he remarked.
He added, "We must address the reality of the world as it exists right now, and the threats we face and the confronting of all of the problems of today, and extremely predictable consequences of a hasty withdrawal."
Meanwhile, Trump declined to indicate if there would be an increase of troops in Afghanistan, where America has been fighting its longest war of 16 years, where he said "we will not talk about numbers of troops or our plans for further military activities."
He affirmed, "Conditions on the ground, not arbitrary timetables, will guide our strategy from now on. America's enemies must never know our plans or believe they can wait us out.
"I will not say when we are going to attack, but attack we will," he warned.
He affirmed that America will continue its support for the Afghan government and the Afghan military, but cleared out saying "we are not nation-building again. We are killing terrorists.
"The next pillar of our new strategy is to change the approach in how to deal with Pakistan. We can no longer be silent about Pakistan's safe havens for terrorist organizations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond," he stressed.
He continued saying that the US has been paying Pakistan "billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting," adding "that will have to change. And that will change immediately."
Trump noted that authority for American armed forces would expand "to target the terrorists and criminal networks that sow violence and chaos throughout Afghanistan.
"Our troops will fight to win. We will fight to win. From now on, victory will have a clear definition. Attacking our enemies, obliterating (IS), crushing al-Qaeda, preventing the Taliban from taking over Afghanistan, and stopping mass terror attacks against America before they emerge," he remarked.
He revealed saying, "We will ask our NATO allies and global partners to support our new strategy, with additional troop and funding increases in line with our own.
"We will make common cause with any nation that chooses to stand and fight alongside us against this global threat. Terrorists take heed: America will never let up until you are dealt a lasting defeat," he reiterated.
Following Trump's address, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement that the new strategy "breaks from previous approaches that set artificial calendar-based deadlines."
He stressed, "we are making clear to the Taliban that they will not win on the battlefield. The Taliban has a path to peace and political legitimacy through a negotiated political settlement to end the war.
"We stand ready to support peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban without preconditions. We look to the international community, particularly Afghanistan's neighbors, to join us in supporting an Afghan peace process," he remarked.
For his part, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said in a separate speech that he has directed the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff "to make preparations" to carry out Trump's strategy.
He added he would be in consultation "with the Secretary General of NATO and our allies - several of which have also committed to increasing their troop numbers.
"Together, we will assist the Afghan Security forces to destroy the terrorist hub," he affirmed. (end)
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