Afghan President Thanks Trump for Support within New Afghanistan Strategy
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday praised the statement of US President Donald Trump that the United States would refrain from a rapid withdrawal of troops from the crisis-torn state amid the threat of terrorism.
On Monday, the US leader unveiled a new strategy for Afghanistan, which included expanded authorities for US troops to target terrorists in the country.
During the presentation of the plan, Trump said that the rapid withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan would create a "vacuum" that would be filled by Daesh and al-Qaeda terrorist groups, both outlawed in Russia.
"I am grateful to President Trump and the American people for this affirmation of support for our efforts to achieve self-reliance and for our joint struggle to rid the region from the threat of terrorism," Ghani said in a statement issued by the Presidential Palace, Sputnik reported.
The Afghan president added that the Afghan-US partnership was strong and its potential should show the extremists of the country that they cannot defeat Kabul.
The United States and its allies launched a military operation in Afghanistan in 2001 soon after the deadly 9/11 attacks. The mission in the Asian state ended in 2014. On January 1, 2015, NATO announced another mission in the country, called Resolute Support, aimed at training of the Afghan security forces.
