New US National Security Strategy calls Afghanistan, Pakistan epicentres of violent extremism; United States welcomes India’s capacity building and training assistance in Afghanistan; Taliban insurgents seize district in east Afghanistan;
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    • The new US national security strategy released by the Obama administration describes Afghanistan and Pakistan as the epicentre of violent extremism practiced by Al Qaeda. But the new document reiterated President Obama’s pledge to begin withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan in July 2011. According to the document, “In July 2011, we will begin reducing our troops responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground.” However, it warns “The danger from this region will only grow if its security slides backward, the Taliban controls large swaths of Afghanistan, and Al Qaeda is allowed to operate with impunity.”1

    US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake stated that the United States “welcomed very much the assistance that India has provided and all of our cabinet-level officials have welcomed that and will continue to do so.” He made this remark while responding to an observation that Pakistan, including its Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani, had objected to India playing such a role. He pointed out that India has played a very important role with $1.3 billion in assistance till date mostly in infrastructure and other kinds of reconstruction projects as well as in capacity building and training. He added that India’s role was “a very important part of the international effort to help stabilise Afghanistan.”2

    Reports noted that Taliban insurgents have seized the Barg-i-Matal district of mountainous Nuristan province of Eastern Afghanistan after days of intense fighting in the area. However, the provincial governor of Nuristan, Jamaluddin Badar, claimed that Afghan forces had retreated in order to prepare for a counter attack.3 Meanwhile, the top commander of Canadian forces in Afghanistan General Daniel Menard has been sacked following allegations of an inappropriate personal relationship. Canadian military sources however maintained that the dismissal would not affect its mission in Afghanistan. Canada has 2,800 troops in Afghanistan mostly operating in Southern Afghanistan.4

    The top NATO commander General McChrystal has said that Iran is providing training to the Taliban and sending them to Afghanistan to carry out insurgent activities. Speaking at a press conference with NATO civilian commander, Mark Sedwill, McChrystal pointed out that there was evidence to indicate that Iran is also smuggling weapons to militants in Afghanistan. However, he did not provide any details of such evidence.5 Earlier, at least 25 Taliban insurgents have been killed including two of their commanders, in a NATO air strike in Dana Ghori district in Baghlan Province of Northern Afghanistan on Saturday, according to the deputy provincial police chief Sayed Zamanuddin.6

    In other developments, as the struggle against the Taliban insurgents intensifies, the presence of US troops in Afghanistan has surpassed the numbers in Iraq for the first time since the ouster of Saddam Hussein. The most recent Pentagon figures indicate that there are 94,000 US troops in Afghanistan compare to 92,000 US troops in Iraq. The number of US troop in Afghanistan is scheduled to go up later this year to about 98,000.7 Meanwhile, Pentagon sources revealed that the total number of US military deaths in and around Afghanistan has reached 1,000 since the launch of US-led war in Afghanistan in October 2001.8

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