U.S. Defense Department Claims Taliban Unable to Win on the Battlefield

The United States Department of Defense, in a report to Congress, praises Washington's new strategy in Afghanistan, stating that the Taliban is unable to win on the battlefield and that the only path left for them is to negotiate with the central government in Kabul. The Pentagon's six-month report to Congress indicates that, according to Afghan and American sources, 'the current season of battles is assessed to be more successful than the previous season.' According to this report, Taliban militants 'are unable to threaten the centers of any provinces and have lost control of significant areas.' The report adds that Afghan security forces 'have successfully regained control of all major urban areas.' Earlier in the summer, the U.S. military command in Afghanistan stated that the ongoing battles of Afghan security forces against the Taliban and other extremist groups in the country were facing a 'stalemate.' The current report states that major changes in the new U.S. government led by Donald Trump 'compared to our previous strategy; are based on transitioning from a time-based policy to a condition-based policy.' The President of the United States announced his government's strategy regarding Afghanistan on August 21, emphasizing that although he intended to withdraw his country's forces from Afghanistan, his advisors convinced him to reinforce the troops. Mr. Trump stated that 'terrorists will fill the void left by a hasty withdrawal of American forces, including ISIS and al-Qaeda, just as it happened before September 11. And as we know, in 2011, Americans hastily and mistakenly withdrew from Iraq.' A month after announcing the new strategy, James Mattis, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, declared that the goal was to defeat militant groups including the Taliban. The report now sent by the department led by Mr. Mattis to U.S. lawmakers emphasizes that Washington's new strategy 'sends a clear message of the United States' resolve' and has distanced itself from previous policies based on deadlines and withdrawing forces from Afghanistan. The report states that Taliban militants are currently 'unable to win on the battlefield' and 'must understand that their only path to peace and political legitimacy lies through negotiation and agreement with the Afghan government.' The United States has approximately 14,000 troops and military personnel in Afghanistan; three thousand more than the last figure released by the Pentagon, which had reported 11,000 American troops in September. Military engagements in Afghanistan, with the presence of the U.S. military, date back to 2001. Following the September 11 attacks, the U.S. military entered Afghanistan to destroy al-Qaeda. Currently, this conflict stands as the longest engagement involving the United States, surpassing the battle against the Moro rebels in the southern Philippines, which lasted 14 years, or the U.S. military presence in Iraq, which officially ended after nine years during Barack Obama's presidency. The new Pentagon report is the first of its kind following the announcement of the new U.S. strategy in Afghanistan.