NATO to Continue Training Afghan Forces Despite ‘Challenges,’ Alliance Chief Says by John Vandiver - Stars & Stripes
NATO’s reinforced mission will continue training Afghan forces, the alliance’s top official said Tuesday, even as government troops sustain higher numbers of casualties in a war now in its 18th year.
“This is a difficult situation,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during a visit in Kabul. “We see violence and instability, and we don’t underestimate the challenges.”
Stoltenberg, along with NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, met with coalition leaders and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul at a time when security conditions in Afghanistan appear to be deteriorating.
After 17 years of war, there are few signs of progress as casualties among Afghan troops rise and attempts at peace talks with the Taliban insurgents have foundered.
While Ghani reiterated the importance of setting conditions for peace talks, the Taliban’s hand appears to be strengthening…