US backs Afghan security plan, says McMaster

KABUL besides expanding security cooperation between the two countries.

McMaster arrived in Kabul on Saturday night and met his Afghan counterpart Hanif Atmar at the Presidential Palace in Kabul on Sunday, days after his country dropped a massive bomb on caves used by Daesh militants in eastern Nangarhar province.

A statement from Atmar office said both the sides conferred on expansion in security cooperation between the two countries.

The US national security advisor is visiting Kabul at the head of a high level delegation as part of a US policy review on Afghanistan.

The statement said McMaster assured of the American commitment to expanding security cooperation with Afghanistan.

It quoted McMaster as voicing support for the Afghan government policy towards strengthening the combat ability of the Afghan Air Force.

He said the US was ready to extend every possible support to Afghanistan in equipping and strengthening the Afghan Air Force.

The visiting US delegation also supported the proposed four-year security plan for Afghanistan and said President Trump’s administration believed the plan would help eradicate all terrorist threats in Afghanistan.

A government official told Pajhwok Afghan News the security plan was not confined to Afghanistan only but it would deal with terror threats in the entire world.

He said the plan also mentioned giving respect to the sacrifices of the Afghans in the international war against terrorism.

McMaster also said besides military cooperation the United States would continue to help Afghanistan make development in other sectors.

He also assured of continued US assistance in advancing the Afghanistan national reconciliation program.

Hanif Atmar said the increasing terrorist threats had arisen the need for more effective American military and political presence in Afghanistan.

Interpreting Afghanistan’s security situation, Atmar said the Afghan defence and security forces had achieved considerable gains in the international fight against terrorism.

And to protect those gains and build on, Atmar said the Afghan security forces needed increased US and NATO support.

He said the Afghan government would not hold peace talks with the insurgents from a weak position and would force them into entering negotiations with international support.

ma