MANAGER
Trump pulls troops out of Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen. Trump’s latest order is both self-absorbed and life-threatening in the current situation.
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Manager: This is an editorial from Dagbladet, and expresses the newspaper’s views. Dagbladet’s political editor is responsible for the editorial.
Published
Friday, November 20, 2020 – 5:50 p.m.
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Donald Trump slutter not to be surprised, if anyone thought so. He breaks a long tradition where the outgoing president is careful to implement new policies, or take actions that it is natural for the descendant to take care of. Trump has no understanding of that kind of propriety. Far more important is his own reflection, future position and legacy. Therefore, he has ordered strong reductions of US military forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen. The implementation will take effect only a few days before Joe Biden is sworn in as the new president of the United States.
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The ongoing the war – and the civil war – in Afghanistan has been going on for almost 20 years. The purpose of the Allied efforts was to support the Afghan government, contribute to building its security forces and fight terrorism. In parallel with the military contributions, there have been major investments in the civilian sector, e.g. when it comes to education, gender equality and business. Norway has been involved all the way. A total of 9,000 Norwegian soldiers have served in Afghanistan. Ten have been killed in combat, at least 940 wounded. Today, 60 Norwegian special forces assist during the most difficult security missions in Kabul.
The goals with operations in Afghanistan were not reached. The country is devastated by war, corruption and drugs. Everyone wants out. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warns against a withdrawal that does not take place in a coordinated and orderly manner. This increases the risk that Afghanistan will once again become a platform for international terrorists who plan and carry out attacks on Western countries.
Through one special agreement with the Taliban, the USA has forced the Afghan government to peace talks which are now taking place in Doha, Qatar. They are stomping. Not least because the ceasefire does not work. The number of acts of violence has increased by 50 percent since peace talks began, according to a recent US government report. There is a wave of assassinations of journalists, human rights activists, equality activists and moderate religious leaders.
A manure spreader shows the way
In this situation Trump is withdrawing 2,000 American troops, leaving only 2,500. The total Allied force will be about 12,000. This strengthens the Taliban’s position and incites IS and al-Qaeda, which have about 4,400 troops in the country. Trump’s latest order is both self-absorbed and life-threatening in the current situation. As one senior Afghan editor put it, “Burning down the house on your way out is not what we expect from an ally.”
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