Defending his military strategy against insurgents, President Ashraf Ghani on Friday said his administration will never oppose efforts for peace and reconciliation, but warned that the Afghan armed forces deserve the right to defend the nation against threats and create conditions for a dignified peace.
 
Referring to the recent spate of deadly attacks in Afghanistan, Ghani asked the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANDS) to give the "final response" to the perpetrators of the recent attacks so that they agree on a justified and equal peace.
 
“Today, once again, there is a need for you (ANDSF) to demonstrate your hidden power and bring out your swords from the sheath,” Ghani said as he addressed members of the Afghan commandos.
 
Today it is the time that the enemies of Afghanistan see the power of the special operation forces and commandos of Afghanistan,” warned the Afghan president.  
 
Meanwhile, the Afghan chief of army staff hailed Ghani’s decision to put the ANDSF on offense mode, and for vowing to crush a
any insurgent response.
 
“We are grateful to the decision made by the supreme commander of the armed forces and we will bravely act to suppress the enemies of Afghanistan,” said General Bismillah Waziri, the Afghan Chief of Army Staff.
 
The Afghan government has blamed the Taliban for the recent attacks.
 
“Our objective is to create conditions for peace,” said Ghani.
 
“We are not moving away from peace. Our objective is to prove that the power of our commandos shows them the power of the sovereignty of the law,” added Ghani, indirectly warning the Taliban.
 
Analysts skeptical of Ghani’s military shift:
 
“If Mr. Ghani intends to force the Taliban to peace by conducting offensive operations, this will be a big mistake. He did not achieve this goal during the days we had the support of foreign forces, in the future also, this move will lead to further fatalities among the security forces,” said Assadullah Nadeem, a military analyst.
 
The Afghan government insists on military supremacy at a time when foreign parties in the conflict in Afghanistan--such as the US and Russia--have warned that Kabul’s harsher military action could pose devastating blows to the Afghan peace process.