UK right to join US in support of Afghan troops

The British government has joined the Americans in announcing that they will not cut and run from Afghanistan. It is encouraging that they have heeded the request of the Afghan government to keep their troops in the country and support the Afghan forces in their fight against the Taliban and other extremists. The two Nato member states may be joined by other countries in continuing its military support and training role, having ended combat missions at the end of 2014, which had become a serious political issue for both governments in their domestic politics.

The British currently have 450 soldiers in Afghanistan, a level which will be maintained throughout 2016, and US President Barack Obama announced earlier this month that the US would keep 5,500 troops in the country when he leaves office in 2017.

The Afghan government is struggling to keep the Taliban at bay, and recent Taliban successes mean that the insurgents see little point in maintaining any commitment to the stuttering peace talks. They feel that if they are going to win the war they don’t need to waste time talking. This is why US and UK support is so important, because the Afghan government forces need as much help as they can get. They need to defeat the Taliban, or at least deny them any military or political advantage, and only then can the Afghan government move on to negotiate from a position of strength to find a peace settlement with the Taliban.

That is the only way to end this terrible war.