Business Standard

Watchdog report questions US claim on Afghan war progress

Image

AP Washington

A government watchdog is taking issue with Pentagon assertions that momentum in the fight against the Taliban has shifted to Afghan government forces.

The report released today by the Pentagon's inspector general's office says that while Afghan security forces are improving, they have made minimal progress toward securing the population. It also said the number of Afghan fighting forces has continued to decline, raising concerns about their effectiveness.

The Trump administration, in launching a new war strategy last August, said it was taking stronger measures to compel the Taliban to join peace talks. But Monday's report to Congress said there was little publicly available evidence that the actions to increase pressure on the Taliban were having a significant impact.

 

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

Don't miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel

First Published: May 21 2018 | 10:35 PM IST

Explore News