Trump's new Afghanistan strategy draws mixed reactions from around the world

[Right_in_Virginia]

Trump's new Afghanistan strategy draws mixed reactions from around the world
Dawn.com; Aug 22, 2017, AFP/AP

<snip>

China
China came to Pakistan's defence after Trump said the US "could no longer be silent" about Pakistan allegedly providing "safe havens for militants".

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying was quoted by news agency Reuters as saying that Pakistan was on the front line in the struggle against terrorism and had made “great sacrifices” and “important contributions” in the fight.  We believe that the international community should fully recognise Pakistan's anti-terrorism efforts,” she said at a daily news briefing.  ...

Afghanistan
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani welcomed Trump's move to commit thousands of more troops to the war as Taliban militants vowed to make the country a “graveyard” for US forces.

Ghani, speaking to troops in southern Kandahar, birthplace of the Taliban, said Trump's first formal address as commander-in-chief showed that America was “with us, without any time limit”.

“You cannot win this war,” Ghani told the Taliban, calling on them to join talks and saying his country wants peace with Pakistan. ...

India
India, Pakistan's arch-rival, was also welcoming of Trump's remarks regarding provision of safe havens to terror groups allegedly operating out of its rival's territory.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that it welcomed Trump's “determination to enhance efforts to overcome the challenges faced by Afghanistan and in confronting issues of safe havens and other forms of cross-border support enjoyed by terrorists.”

Without naming rival Pakistan, the ministry said: “India shares these concerns and objectives.”  ...

UK
The UK also welcomed Trump's commitment to step up the military campaign in Afghanistan, Reuters reported. “The US commitment is very welcome,” British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said in a statement.

“In my call with [US Defence] Secretary Mattis yesterday, we agreed that despite the challenges, we have to stay the course in Afghanistan to help build up its fragile democracy and reduce the terrorist threat to the West."

"It's in all our interests that Afghanistan becomes more prosperous and safer; that's why we announced our own troop increase back in June,” he added.

NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)'s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, welcomed Trump's new strategy and said that the US-led military alliance remains committed to the conflict-torn country.

Stoltenberg welcomed Trump's “conditions-based approach”, referring to America's decision to make troop presence conditional on needs rather than timelines.

More than 12,000 troops from Nato and partner countries have been helping to “train, advise and assist” Afghan security forces since January 2015 after the alliance wound down combat operations there.

Stoltenberg said that “Nato allies and partners have already committed to increasing our presence in Afghanistan.”  ...


More: https://www.dawn.com/news/1353197/trumps-new-afghanistan-strategy-draws-mixed-reactions-from-around-the-world

[skeeter]

"Mixed reactions" meaning China (and an unnamed 'military analyst' in Australia) on one side and everyone else on the other.

I'm not wild about our continued involvement over there but this constant effort to make every headline concerning this administration about controversy is way past tiresome.

[austingirl]

It sickens me to think of the trillions we spent nation building in Afghanistan and Iraq only to have it all blown up.

[driftdiver]

Our enemy doesn't like our strategy,  good.

IMO there is nothing in Afghanistan worth sacrificing any of our children for.   However, I do believe if we allow the radicals to take over the entire middle east we will soon be fighting them on the streets here in the US.

[Fishrrman]

There is only one way to "win" a war within a muslim country.

And we haven't tried it yet (and will not in the near future).

I'm normally pro-Trump, but I don't think that 4,000 more troops are going to make much of a difference there.