Mike Waltz: US Forces Will Not Return to Afghanistan
Mike Waltz, national security advisor to President-elect Donald Trump, stated that under the next US administration, American forces will not return to Afghanistan.
The Washington Post quoted Waltz as saying that Afghanistan remains highly significant to him.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Waltz emphasized improving intelligence capabilities in Afghanistan to prevent potential future attacks on US soil.
Mike Waltz said: “The Trump administration will be taking a hard look at the intelligence community and the counterterrorism enterprise, and what kind of eyes and ears do we have, to make sure we’re not surprised again — yet again — from that part of the world. I wouldn’t interpret that as, ‘We’ve got to go back and fight in Kandahar.’ I would interpret it as, ‘I don’t want to wait until a Kansas City is hit.”
“Foreign Ministry policy-making institutions should remain vigilant to save Afghanistan and prevent it from becoming a battleground for global powers again,” said Islam Danishmal, a political analyst.
Previously, US President Joe Biden said that Afghanistan did not become a terrorist safe haven after the withdrawal of American forces and poses no threat to the US. He added that Washington can manage Afghanistan remotely.
“Afghanistan is on the sidelines of US foreign policy; it should become a focal point. This depends on how we can manage our foreign policy to convince the US that its political interests are secured within Afghanistan,” said Janet Faheem Chakari, a political analyst.
“The Americans know that they cannot achieve their goals through military means and force; therefore, they are looking for alternative approaches,” said Sarwar Niazi, a military analyst.
These remarks by Mike Waltz come as the new US administration under Donald Trump is set to take office on Monday, with its Afghanistan policy still unclear.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s interim government requested that Donald Trump reconsider US policies toward Afghanistan.
