Afghanistan and Pakistan praised the new US strategy for dealing with growing violence in the two countries, saying the plan to reconcile with moderate Taliban militants was better than expected and calling a focus on using development to fight extremism “a positive change.”
US President Barack Obama announced the new strategy in hopes of reversing the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, where violence has been increasing from Taliban militants who fled the 2001 US-led invasion and have been launching cross-border attacks from sanctuaries in Pakistan.
In the latest violence, a roadside bomb killed three Afghan army commandos on patrol on Saturday in eastern Paktia Province’s Gardez district, the US military said in a statement. Four other soldiers were wounded.
The violence provides cover for al-Qaeda operatives who Obama said are also holed up in Pakistan and planning attacks against the US and other countries. The overarching goal of the new strategy is to “disrupt, dismantle and defeat” al-Qaeda in the region by increasing civilian and military assistance on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border.
But serious questions remain, including whether the new effort will convince Pakistan to crack down on militants operating in its territory and whether the US and Afghanistan can agree on which Taliban fighters should be approached for reconciliation.
In addition to focusing on reconciliation, Afghan President Hamid Karzai praised pledges of increased and better-coordinated assistance to his country and Obama’s focus on countering militant sanctuaries in Pakistan.
“This is better than we were expecting as a matter of fact,” Karzai told a news conference.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said billions of dollars in additional civilian aid would help his government fight extremism. He promised he would not allow Pakistani territory to be used for terrorism — though he offered no new measures.
“The US presidency’s new approach represents a positive change,” Zardari said in a speech to parliament.
Karzai has long championed the idea of reconciliation with the Taliban as a key way to tamp down the growing insurgency in Afghanistan. The administration of former US president George W. Bush generally opposed the idea.
The new plan promised 4,000 additional troops to train the Afghan army, hundreds more civilian specialists to help Afghanistan rebuild and US$1.5 billion in annual civilian aid to Pakistan for the next five years.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
NO EXCUSES: Marcos said his administration was acting on voters’ demands, but an academic said the move was emotionally motivated after a poor midterm showing Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr yesterday sought the resignation of all his Cabinet secretaries, in a move seen as an attempt to reset the political agenda and assert his authority over the second half of his single six-year term. The order came after the president’s allies failed to win a majority of Senate seats contested in the 12 polls on Monday last week, leaving Marcos facing a divided political and legislative landscape that could thwart his attempts to have an ally succeed him in 2028. “He’s talking to the people, trying to salvage whatever political capital he has left. I think it’s
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
RSS