Trump’s Afghan policy

U.S president Donald Trump’s policy is basically a South Asian policy, but its main shove is to
win the war in Afghanistan by escalation U.S military and with the support of Pakistan and India.
The president of U.S concluded his interest in Afghanistan into three points such as
1) The U.S nation seeks upright and long-term outcomes after tremendous sacrifices of lives.
They deserve definite victory after 17 years of struggle.
2) The rapid exit from Afghanistan is not possible yet. Hasty exit will create a vacuum for
terrorist groups such as ISIS and Taliban as we experienced it in Iraq war. So it is predictable
and unacceptable, we cannot repeat this mistake in Afghanistan as our leader made it in Iraq.
3) The security threats that we are facing in Afghanistan and the border region are massive.
Pakistan often provides shelter to terrorists. The threats become worse because Pakistan and
India both are armed nuclear states in the region and their rivalry creates spiral into conflicts.
America’s strategy towards Afghanistan and Pakistan
1) Stop the resurgence: U.S president in his speech addressed that we have to stop the
resurgence the safe heavens of terrorists that threatens the U.S and we must prevent the
nuclear weapon of the region in hand of terrorists.
2) No timetable:
 U.S president argued that U.S strategy is transformed from time based approach
to condition based. The advance announcements by U.S create counterproductive
activities.
 The number of troops and plans will not be defined. There would be no subjective
timetable. America’s enemies must never know about its plans and future
strategies.
 It will not say when we will attack, but the attack we will.
3) Amalgamation of instruments of power:
 America will use all instruments of power such as military, economic, diplomatic
for successful outcomes.
 America will continue its support for Afghan government and military to confront
terrorists but the ultimate responsibility of future and peace must take people of
Afghanistan.
4) New strategy for Pakistan: we can no longer silent about Pakistan’s safe heavens for
terrorists organizations. Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with U.S. But there is
much to lose by continuing to harbor and provide safe heavens to terrorists.
No partnership can survive a country’s harboring of terrorists, who targets U.S. it is a
time for Pakistan to reveal its assurance to peace.
5) Strategic partnership: The president argued, America will develop its strategic
partnership with India, as India’s contribution for stability in Afghanistan is appreciated.
We demand economic assistance and development for Afghanistan. We are committed to
pursuing our objectives for peace and stability in South Asia specifically in Indo Pacific
region.
 6) Strategy for nation building: The U.S president argued that the participation of Afghan
Government in development will help to make Afghanistan stronger. The stronger the
Afghanistan, the less we have to do. We want them succeed but American military will
no longer construct democracies in faraway lands.
7) Strategy for achieving lasting peace: military power alone will not bring peace and
counter terrorism. But strategically applied force aims to create the conditions for a
political process to achieve a lasting peace.
8) U.S support is not a blank check: The U.S president further argued that America will
work with Afghanistan, but our engagement is not limited and our support in blank
check. Afghan government must share its military, economic and political burden.
Critical Analysis:
The much awaited Afghan policy has nothing new. It is just likely to deepen the regional tension.
The policy is vague in many aspects. It is also called the strategy of U.S president for face saving
and a justification to his statements about afghan war. As in the past he emphasized that Afghan
war is just wasting of time and money, we must get out our troops from there. But now he has
said to increase the troops for winning the war but he further argued that the U.S troops would
not stay in Afghanistan for long but he has not given a certain plan for exit. This marks a
complete turnaround in trump’s election promise.
Diplomacy and political options are not clearly mentioned. There is certainly no road map for
peace. Although there is fleeting mention of trump’s willingness to begin talk Afghan Taliban
insurgent. But again things are unclear and there is ambiguity in statement that when and how is
it possible? His promise to pursue integration of all instruments (economic, military, and
diplomatic) is not realistic. At the time U.S has neither full time ambassador in Kabul nor a
special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Many key diplomatic slots in the state department
are yet to be filled.
The U.S president reserved his strongest criticism for Pakistan, while acknowledging its
sacrifices in war on terror. His warning to Pakistan can be considered the failure of U.S strategy
in Afghan War and now U.S wanted to blame Pakistan for its failure by neglecting its effort of
17 years. Strategic partnership with India in economic and developmental level in Afghanistan is
clear message for Pakistan that if he will not pursue U.S demands than there is much to lose for
Pakistan.
There is also no plan to stabiles political and economic situation in Afghanistan as U.S is not
responsible for instability and worst economic and political system. So this afghan policy shows
that it is not a U.S’ responsibility to built political or economic structure in Afghanistan while
Afghan leadership has certain responsibility to uplift its political, economic and military
structure. U.s administration also admitted that military power only does not create peace in
region but the dialogues with other state actors may help to stabilize the situation. It is obvious
that 17 years of U.S forces in Afghanistan worked on wrong footings.
The so called way forward by president Trump remains blurred. As it is a strategy to safe its own
status. The role of other bordering countries cannot be avoided. In South Asia there are many
other countries whose role in regional peace is inevitable. Criticizing the role of Pakistan and its
efforts and appreciation towards India by neglecting other countries in South Asia is showing
Trump’s strategy to use Pakistan as an escape goat.