Nicholson says Pakistan did not change after announcing US strategy

BRUSSELS (SW): General John Nicholson, commander of US and international forces in Afghanistan, said on the second and last day of NATO foreign ministers meeting that there was no change in Pakistan’s approach after the announcement of a new US strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia.

General Nicholson said that the cost of failure against terrorism in Afghanistan is exorbitant, and the cost of this defeat encompasses the whole world. However, he insisted that the Taliban will never win victory through the war.

The US and international forces commander in Afghanistan said talks with various opposition groups are ongoing. According to him, people belonging to these groups are not happy with their leaders because in most of the battles of these groups, the ordinary people are scarified.

Tariq Shah Bahrami, the acting defense minister representing Afghanistan in this meeting, pointing to Pakistan also said that the time for dual play has come to an end. Mr. Bahrami added that peace in Afghanistan is in the interest of the region and the world, that if the terrorism succeeds, everyone will suffer.

At the first day of the NATO Defense Minister’s meeting, the organization announced an increase in its troops from 13,000 to 16,000.

After the end of the 13 years NATO (ISAF) combat role in Afghanistan, the organization launched its new mission under the name Resolute Support from first January 2015.

NATO at the moment has 13,459 troops in Afghanistan. Of the 39 countries involved in this mission, the United States, Italy and Germany have the largest share in the formation of NATO forces in Afghanistan.

 ENDS