The Islamic State (Isil) is already sending "advance guards" to Afghanistan and could expand into the war-torn country if the US withdraws too quickly, the new Afghan president warned today.
A day after successfully lobbying Barack Obama to slow the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani used a speech to the US Congress to raise the spectre of Isil extending into his country as it did in Iraq.
"We are the front line," Mr Ghani told members of Congress as he urged the US to continue its military and economic support for Afghanistan. "[Isil] is already sending advance guards to southern and western Afghanistan to test our vulnerabilities."
The Afghan leader, who took office last year after a divisive election, spoke during a visit to Washington intended to show that he will be a more cooperative partner to America than his predecessor, Hamid Karzai.
While the mercurial Mr Karzai often lashed out at the West in public and infuriated the White House, Mr Ghani has gone to great lengths to praise the US and note the sacrifices it has made on behalf of Afghanistan.
His approach has already paid dividends and on Tuesday Mr Obama announced that he was agreeing to the Afghan leader's request not to withdraw any US troops this year.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11495078/Isil-is-already-sending-advance-guards-to-Afghanistan-Ashraf-Ghani-warns.html
