Mohib: US Troops May Not be Needed in Afghanistan by 2020

Afghanistan’s military should be able to carry on the fight against Taleban insurgents mostly without the help of US and other foreign troops by 2020, Afghanistan’s ambassador to the United States said Tuesday. “By 2020 our security forces will be able to have what they need to carry on the fight on their own for the most part,” Hamdullah Mohib, Afghanistan Ambassador to the US, told the USA TODAY editorial board. “We’re not talking about creating a new military,” Mohib said. “What we’re talking about is adjusting what we already have.” Mohib added that even if Afghan forces are mostly self-sufficient they will likely require international financial support for many years. The United States provides the bulk of the foreign aid, including 67 billion USD since 2005 just to build up the Afghan security force. It currently has 350,000 members, including the police and army. US is committed to support and assist Afghan security forces based on Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) signed between Afghan government and the US in 2014.