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| Afghanistan |
| Afghan peace would bring its own risks to reconstruction: US watchdog |
| 2019-03-29 |
| [DAWN] The prospect of peace in Afghanistan raises its own risks to rebuilding efforts, a US watchdog said on Thursday, citing reintegrating Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... fighters, spurring the economy and protecting women's rights as major issues to be dealt with. Damned if we do, damned if we don't, as usual. "A peace agreement would be welcomed by the long-suffering Afghan people," the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko said in Washington. "But it could bring its own challenges to sustaining what the United States, coalition partners and the Afghan government have achieved." The United States has spent $132 billion since 2002 on training Afghan forces, strengthening institutions and other initiatives. US-led forces deposed the Taliban in 2001 after the September 11 attacks in the United States but the bully boyz regrouped and have steadily extended their influence during 17 years of war. Peace talks between US and Taliban officials began late last year, raising hopes for an end to the conflict. The latest round ended this month with both sides citing progress. |
| Posted by:Fred |