Afghanistan Takes a Bloody Path to Pursue Peace
The United States has been at war with Afghanistan for
nearly 17 years and the violence continues to paralyze the country. While there
is still fighting between the Afghan government and the Taliban, the Islamic
State has also claimed responsibilities for countless attacks. Despite what the
U.S. government has said, both ISIS and the Taliban have continued to perpetuate
violence within the country. The Taliban announced its annual spring offensive
on April 25, to months after President Ashraf Ghani attempted to offer talks
with the militant group. However, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, said that
the Taliban and ISIS have a goal to “destabilize the elected government.” But
just because there is an increase in violence, it does not mean that peace is
not possible; it can be used a strategy for more negotiating power. The Afghan
government currently hold about 65% of the country while the Taliban hold
roughly 14.5%, according to SIGAR. It is still unclear as to what exactly Trump’s
policy towards Afghanistan is and will be in the future. But for now, it is
likely that the U.S. will keep the roughly 15,000 troops within its borders to
help curb the violence.
Gabbi Gruver
No comments:
Post a Comment