The Washington Post, Kabul, 4 July 2015 – Sen. John McCain warned Saturday that a calendar-based pullout of U.S. troops from Afghanistan as outlined by the Obama administration would be a serious mistake, emboldening the Taliban and allowing the country to once again become a stronghold for militants.
As part of his effort to end the longest war in U.S. history, Obama has announced plans to close the remaining U.S. bases in Afghanistan and reduce troop strength from 9,800 to 1,000 by the end of 2016.
But McCain (R-Ariz.) says that with the rise and spread of Taliban attacks amid the drawdown of U.S. and NATO troops and the emergence of the Islamic State in Afghanistan, Obama’s timetable will put at risk the gains made Western and Afghan troops had made since the fall of the Taliban government.
“The most serious mistake the United States could make . . . will be to have a calendar-based withdrawal. That will be a tragedy,” McCain said in Kabul. “In my view door opening for the Taliban to gain great success in Afghanistan.
“I am deeply concerned about western Afghanistan, where you see the Taliban in control of certain areas; where you see reports of Iranian arms being shipped. We are concerned about certain areas in eastern Afghanistan as well, and of course . . . the rise of ISIS.”
McCain spoke at a news conference after holding discussions with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani…
McCain says he backs Ghani’s request for a comprehensive intelligence assessment of conditions on the ground to determine the proper size and shape of U.S. troop presence after 2016.
He said the Taliban attacks in normal non-fighting season — alluding to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in which Muslims spend the daytime hours fasting, along with the Afghan summer heat — required NATO and the United States to keep between 5,000 and 6,000 troops, including the two major bases in Kandahar and Kabul, after 2016.
“The Taliban still has significant capabilities, and those capabilities can best be countered by continued U.S. military support and without that the place is at risk,” he said. “That is why so many of us, and so many of the military leaders who have been in the leadership positions in Kabul, say that we should base our withdrawal on conditions.”