‘US military – source of instability in Afghanistan and region’

With many Afghans opposing plans to extend US-Afghan partnership, a Pakistan-based expert says that the US military presence in the country has become a source of instability both within Afghanistan and in the region.

On Sunday, some 1,000 people took to the streets in eastern Afghanistan to protest against plans for a long-term partnership deal between Kabul and Washington. Many fear it could extend the US military presence in the war-torn country. Ahmed Quraishi, a political analyst from Pakistan told RT that the Afghan people have no reason to welcome the American presence in their country as the US record over the past decade in Afghanistan is not very encouraging.“The United States has failed to bring social harmony to Afghanistan, to bring political stability to the country and to stabilize the region.”Nevertheless, the current Afghan ruling elite wants Americans to stay as they are totally dependent on them, the analyst explains.“The moment the Americans are out, these people don’t really have a chance to stay in power. Many of them are proxies of various American organizations, NGOs, US military, intelligence and other departments of US government.” As the US and officials in Kabul quietly discuss an extended American presence in the country, Afghanistan’s neighbors are “deeply concerned about a permanent state of instability in the region,” he argues. According to Quraishi, Afghanistan is an important base of operations for the US and Washington will not let this strategic piece of land go.“They are testing new weapons over there,” he says. “And they are sitting in the backyards of the major powers in the region, Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, and other countries.”