16 Afghan Police Killed in U.S. Airstrike in Helmand

Following a U.S. airstrike in the Gereshk area of Helmand province, Afghanistan, 16 Afghan police officers were killed and two others were injured. According to a report by Agence France-Presse, the airstrike on Friday was aimed at Taliban forces that occupy large parts of the province. The report adds that two of the deceased were police commanders. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) confirmed the news in a statement, adding: 'During the execution of support operations for the Afghan forces' attack, several members of this friendly force gathered at the site of the attack were killed due to the fire from airstrikes.' In another part of the statement, it announced that an investigation into the cause of the incident is underway and expressed 'deep condolences to the families of those killed in this tragic event.' The U.S. military is the only coalition member conducting airstrikes in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis stated on Friday that the Trump administration is examining 'big ideas' for finding a new strategic solution in Afghanistan based on troop numbers and other military details. He emphasized that 'we are close to the goal.' The U.S. has had a military presence in Afghanistan for 16 years, and recently, the U.S. Defense Secretary warned in June that the United States [with the current trend] is not capable of success in Afghanistan. At that time, he promised Republican Senator John McCain during a Senate meeting to propose a strategic solution for Afghanistan by mid-July. On Friday, when asked what plan he had prepared, the Defense Secretary said, 'It just takes a little time.' He also added, 'This does not mean that previous presidents were ignorant or anything like that. It's just a difficult job that requires the right decision.' Mr. Mattis also reacted to criticisms regarding the Afghanistan issue, stating, 'It is only easy for those who are not going to bear the responsibility for making decisions to criticize the work.' The Associated Press writes that although Senator McCain's name was not mentioned in Mr. Mattis's remarks, this senior Republican senator is among the critics of the lack of strategy regarding Afghanistan. According to this news agency, Mr. McCain expressed regret on Thursday that 'six months into this administration, we still do not have a strategy for victory in Afghanistan.' He added, 'Now we are in mid-July, and no solution has been presented to Congress.' The U.S. Defense Secretary related the issue of the Afghanistan war to previous U.S. wars, stating he wants to ensure agreement among executive agencies in both political and military dimensions. He added, 'I know it may seem easy, but it is not easy.' Mr. Mattis also reminded that the Pentagon's decision to withhold $50 million from Pakistan as 'financial support for coalition forces' is not related to the new U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. Pakistan has received this amount annually under the title of 'providing logistical support for U.S. military operations.' Officials had previously stated that the U.S. approach to Pakistan is a significant part of the new war strategy in Afghanistan. They explained that Pakistan is the center of one of the dangerous branches of the Taliban known as the 'Haqqani Network,' which also has a significant position in Afghanistan. The Pentagon stated in a statement released on Friday that Mr. Mattis told multiple Senate committees that he could not confirm that Pakistan had taken adequate measures to combat the Haqqani Network, which would justify receiving $900 million as reimbursement for its costs in the battles. Pakistan has received $550 million of this amount so far, but the U.S. Congress refused to approve the payment of another $300 million a few months ago. Mr. Mattis's opinion in this regard means that the remaining $50 million that was supposed to be paid to Pakistan will also not be disbursed. However, the U.S. Defense Secretary emphasized that this does not mean adopting a hardline policy towards Pakistan. Last year, former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter also assessed Pakistan's actions against the Haqqani Network as 'insufficient,' resulting in $300 million of the intended amount not being paid to the country.