America and its allies are winning war against terrorism in Afghanistan, a top military official has said as the US prepares for the scheduled drawdown of its troops from the war-torn country.
"It is fair to ask if we're winning in Afghanistan. I believe the answer is yes, and several facts allow me to say that with confidence," General Joseph Dunford, Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, during a Congressional hearing.
"First and foremost, our efforts in Afghanistan have pressured the terrorist network and have prevented another 9/11. Second, we have built Afghan security forces that - with increasingly reduced levels of support - are capable of providing security and denying terrorist safe haven," he said.
"Third, we are providing a stabilising influence in the region that is providing the time and space for a wide range of complex issues to be addressed. And finally, as a result of our efforts, the Afghan people face a decade of opportunity within which they can determine their own future, free of the brutality and intolerance of the Taliban," he added.
"Despite all the skepticism surrounding our mission, that looks like winning to me," Dunford said adding that the Afghan national security forces have made remarkable progress in the last few years, but work remains to build the long-term sustainability of the Afghan forces.
