Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) on 11th August, unveiled his long-promised strategy for Afghanistan, saying "America is adrift" in the war-torn nation as the Trump administration spins its wheels.
"President Obama’s ‘don’t lose’ strategy has put us on a path to achieving the opposite result," McCain said in a statement. "Now, nearly seven months into President Trump’s administration, we’ve had no strategy at all as conditions on the ground have steadily worsened.
McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has long threatend to force a strategy on the administration if it doesn’t come up with one to win the 16-year-old war. Trump has reportedly been so frustrated with the U.S. direction in Afghanistan that he suggested firing the four-star general overseeing the war.
McCain said he developed his strategy, which he is filing as an amendment to the annual defense policy bill, after consulting with some of the country’s “most experienced and respected former military and intelligence officials.”
Right now, there are about 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan on a dual mission of training, advising and assisting Afghan forces in their fight against the Taliban and conducting counterterrorism missions against groups such as al Qaeda and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
He adds that the United States should pursue an “integrated civil-military” approach that includes deploying more U.S. troops; providing more targeting authority against the Taliban, Haqqani Network, al Qaeda, ISIS and “other terrorist groups that threaten the United States, its allies and its core interests"; and pursuing a joint agreement with the government of Afghanistan for a long-term, open-ended U.S. presence.
His strategy also calls for improving the abilities of Afghan forces in the short term by placing U.S. advisers and trainers at the battalion level of each Afghan corps and “significantly” increasing the availability of U.S. airpower. In the long term, the U.S. would provide “sustained support” as the Afghans improve their own capabilities, including intelligence, logistics, Special Forces, air lift and close air support.
U.S. military and economic support would also be “strictly” conditioned on the Afghan government meeting benchmarks on anti-corruption and other reform efforts.
McCain's strategy also includes Pakistan, which would be subject to graduated diplomatic and military costs “as long as it continues to provide support and sanctuary to terrorist and insurgent groups.” Besides threatening Pakistan with new sanctions, the proposed policy also outlines the potential benefits of a long-term US-Pakistan strategic partnership that could result from Pakistan’s cessation of support for all terrorist and insurgent groups and constructive role in bringing about a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Afghanistan.
Last month, the US Department of Defence also issued a report, “Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan”, which recognises Pakistan as “the most influential external actor affecting Afghan stability and the outcome of both the US and Nato missions” and suggests using both carrot and stick to achieve its cooperation.
And last week, US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster indicated that a new US strategy for Afghanistan may include this “carrot and stick” approach.
Finally, it calls for intensifying U.S. diplomatic efforts with Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, India, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and other nations to promote political reconciliation in Afghanistan.