Anthony King, Professor of War Studies, of the University of Warwick's the Department of Politics and International Studies, has said with President Trump ruling out US troops withdrawing from Afghanistan the US will need to develop an alternative strategy for Afghanistan.

Professor King comments:

“With the announcement of the redeployment of combat troops, Barack Obama’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014 has proved to be precipitate. Predictably, the Afghan Security Forces have put under excessive pressure by the Taliban. However, in order to avoid an attritional entanglement, the US will need to develop an alternative strategy to their first efforts under Operation Enduring Freedom and ISAF between 2001 and 2014. Critical here will be constructing a stable political order in the Pashtun south, which will probably need to include some Taliban representation, and building a credible security force to deter insurgent violence in critical areas.”

22 August 2017

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