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RS Commander Delivers Report To U.S Senate Committee

The U.S Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday night received an update on the situation in Afghanistan from Resolute Support Commander General John Nicholson who discussed Russia and Iran’s involvement in the country.

He said that Iran was directly involved in assisting the Taliban in the western part of the country, but would not disclose “classified” details.

He also said Russia’s involvement has deepened in the country – and  with the Taliban.
 
Nicholson state that there is a need to mount pressure on Haqqani network and on al-Qaeda fighters in Pakistan.
 
On a number of occasions he stated that the sole aim of the U.S’s involvement in Afghanistan was to “protect the homeland” – that being the U.S.
 
Meanwhile, he applauded the Afghan security forces for their sacrifices and said the 17,000-strong Afghan special forces were the best in the region and that they operate independently on roughly 80 percent of their missions.
 
He said NATO reaffirmed its commitment to sustain the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces for a further four years at the Warsaw Summit last year and that the Afghan people were confident in their security services and that they did not want the Taliban to return to power.

“We have an exceptional partnership with President (Ashraf) Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah (Abdullah), the security forces and the people of Afghanistan,” he said.

According to him, Ghani is making bold reforms and implementing anti-corruption measures to professionalize and improve the Afghan security forces.

Nicholson said he believes the U.S operations in Afghanistan directly protects “the homeland” and that their main objection is to destroy al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

Questioned on the issue of ghost soldiers being paid and what the U.S is doing to help combat the problem Nicholson said Resolute Support is working closely with government to combat the problem. He also reiterated that salaries would be paid in accordance with a biometric system and that this would be rolled out within the next few months.

He said better monitoring of payment of salaries has also been applied.

On Russia’s growing involvement in Afghanistan, Nicholson said Russia initiated a series of meetings in Moscow to which Afghanistan was not invited.
“We believe a peace and reconciliation process should be Afghan-led”, he said.

When one committee member implied the U.S mission was in fact a failed mission, Nicholson came out in defense of Ghani whom he said was working with the U.S in terms of achieving success. One example he cited was the steps Ghani had agreed to take in respect of ending the issue of ghost soldiers.

“With Afghan President Ghani we are working on an ANDSF Roadmap for the way ahead – the population and government want us here,” he stated.

Despite his comments on Iran supporting the Taliban in the western parts of Afghanistan, Nicholson stated that Tehran was also working with Afghanistan. “This is a complex relationship,” he said.

He went on to say that the Russian and Iranian influence was undermining the U.S’s work in Afghanistan.

On Daesh in Afghanistan, he said many of the Daesh fighters are of Pakistan origin and had initially moved into Nangarhar but had now spread around the country.

He said they have attacked Shia targets primarily – even in Kabul.

However, the Afghans on the whole reject the group – which is largely made up of foreign fighters, he said adding that these militants were mostly Pakistan and Uzbekistan nationals.

He did however say that there are Afghans involved in Daesh – and attracted by the money paid to them.

RS Commander Delivers Report To U.S Senate Committee

Delivering a report on the situation in Afghanistan, Gen. Nicholson spoke of Iran and Russia’s involvement in the country, and on Daesh.

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The U.S Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday night received an update on the situation in Afghanistan from Resolute Support Commander General John Nicholson who discussed Russia and Iran’s involvement in the country.

He said that Iran was directly involved in assisting the Taliban in the western part of the country, but would not disclose “classified” details.

He also said Russia’s involvement has deepened in the country – and  with the Taliban.
 
Nicholson state that there is a need to mount pressure on Haqqani network and on al-Qaeda fighters in Pakistan.
 
On a number of occasions he stated that the sole aim of the U.S’s involvement in Afghanistan was to “protect the homeland” – that being the U.S.
 
Meanwhile, he applauded the Afghan security forces for their sacrifices and said the 17,000-strong Afghan special forces were the best in the region and that they operate independently on roughly 80 percent of their missions.
 
He said NATO reaffirmed its commitment to sustain the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces for a further four years at the Warsaw Summit last year and that the Afghan people were confident in their security services and that they did not want the Taliban to return to power.

“We have an exceptional partnership with President (Ashraf) Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah (Abdullah), the security forces and the people of Afghanistan,” he said.

According to him, Ghani is making bold reforms and implementing anti-corruption measures to professionalize and improve the Afghan security forces.

Nicholson said he believes the U.S operations in Afghanistan directly protects “the homeland” and that their main objection is to destroy al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

Questioned on the issue of ghost soldiers being paid and what the U.S is doing to help combat the problem Nicholson said Resolute Support is working closely with government to combat the problem. He also reiterated that salaries would be paid in accordance with a biometric system and that this would be rolled out within the next few months.

He said better monitoring of payment of salaries has also been applied.

On Russia’s growing involvement in Afghanistan, Nicholson said Russia initiated a series of meetings in Moscow to which Afghanistan was not invited.
“We believe a peace and reconciliation process should be Afghan-led”, he said.

When one committee member implied the U.S mission was in fact a failed mission, Nicholson came out in defense of Ghani whom he said was working with the U.S in terms of achieving success. One example he cited was the steps Ghani had agreed to take in respect of ending the issue of ghost soldiers.

“With Afghan President Ghani we are working on an ANDSF Roadmap for the way ahead – the population and government want us here,” he stated.

Despite his comments on Iran supporting the Taliban in the western parts of Afghanistan, Nicholson stated that Tehran was also working with Afghanistan. “This is a complex relationship,” he said.

He went on to say that the Russian and Iranian influence was undermining the U.S’s work in Afghanistan.

On Daesh in Afghanistan, he said many of the Daesh fighters are of Pakistan origin and had initially moved into Nangarhar but had now spread around the country.

He said they have attacked Shia targets primarily – even in Kabul.

However, the Afghans on the whole reject the group – which is largely made up of foreign fighters, he said adding that these militants were mostly Pakistan and Uzbekistan nationals.

He did however say that there are Afghans involved in Daesh – and attracted by the money paid to them.

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