World Watch: Afghans want United States to stay
Last week's parliamentary elections in Afghanistan may have been largely peaceful, with only minor incidents at a handful of polling stations. But Afghan leaders say international forces will need to stay for the long haul, as Taliban insurgents continue this year to step up their attacks.
Taliban fighters in the country's southern provinces along the border with Pakistan have redoubled their attacks, with some estimates showing more than 1,200 deaths over the past six months. Seventy-nine American soldiers have died in Afghanistan this year alone, bringing the total since the start of the U.S. invasion in 2001 to nearly 200. Last weekend, a Chinook helicopter went down, killing five American soldiers, in Zabul province in southern Afghanistan.
But with the parliamentary elections capping a three-year process to bring democratic institutions to Afghanistan and the international community increasingly focused on rebuilding the country's basic infrastructure, the U.S. military has begun talking about withdrawing some American troops next year. American officials hope to persuade NATO to increase the presence of its forces, now at 12,400. Afghan officials, though, think such suggestions are premature.
"While a lot has been achieved with coalition forces and NATO forces, not only in the war against terrorism but also in [the] training of our Army," says Abdullah Abdullah, the Afghan foreign minister, "it will be very early to talk about a plan to withdraw forces. They're needed by all Afghans." Abdullah made his comments during a visit to Washington this week.
As the Taliban attacks increase, so too do tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, both U.S. allies. Afghanistan is questioning whether Pakistan has done enough to stop insurgents from staging their operations in Pakistan and then crossing over into Afghanistan.
Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's president, recently proposed building a wall along parts of the border. However, Abdullah says little progress has been made on the suggestion, and he questioned whether it would even help.
"I don't think that if there is a problem of crossing by terrorists, that the wall will stop it," he said.
Abdullah also bemoaned drug trafficking as one of the top concerns within the country. Opium production accounts for roughly half of the country's gross domestic product, though a recent United Nations report shows poppy cultivation on the decline.