{"id":3271,"date":"2013-12-31T06:53:56","date_gmt":"2013-12-31T06:53:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/wp3\/?p=3271"},"modified":"2013-12-31T06:53:56","modified_gmt":"2013-12-31T06:53:56","slug":"taliban-to-grow-in-strength-by-2017-says-us-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sunnionline.us\/english\/2013\/12\/31\/3271\/","title":{"rendered":"Taliban to grow in strength by 2017, says US report"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"images\/stories\/news3\/taliban-1-2.jpg\" border=\"0\" style=\"float: right; margin: 5px;\" \/>The Taliban and other militant groups will have the upper hand in Afghanistan by 2017 even if the United States maintains a small military presence in the country, says a new US intelligence report.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <!--more-->  <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Known as the National Intelligence Estimate, the report includes input from all 16 American intelligence agencies and is prepared for US policymakers and lawmakers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In another report also released this year, the US intelligence community predicted that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba would continue to be the most multifaceted and problematic of the Pakistani militant groups. \u201cThe group has the long-term potential to evolve into a permanent and even Hamas\/Hezbullah-like presence in Pakistan,\u201d it warned.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Washington Post, which has seen a copy of the latest estimate, reported on Saturday that it portrayed a dismal picture of the security situation in Afghanistan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It warns that the situation would deteriorate even more rapidly if the US and the Afghan government do not sign a security deal for keeping a small international force in Afghanistan after next year\u2019s drawdown of American troops.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The report claims that any gains made by the United States and its allies will be lost by 2017 as the Taliban and other groups become increasingly influential in the war-torn country.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Another version of the 2013 report, which covers first half of the year, say that Pakistan is \u201cintently focused\u201d on Afghanistan, anticipating Isaf drawdown. The Pakistani government has attempted to improve relations with Kabul and to ensure that its views are taken into consideration during the transition period.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Pakistani military this year continued operations in Fata, and, as of late 2012, had forces in place for an operation against the militants in North Waziristan. There were fewer domestic attacks by TTP militants this year than in the previous several years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Since the latest report comes at a time when the United States prepares to withdraw most of its combat troops from Afghanistan, it focuses on the situation in that country.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Although its predictions are bleak, the report dispels the impression that the deterioration will bring the Taliban into power.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Instead, it predicts that the central government in Kabul may lose influence over parts of the country and become increasingly irrelevant. This will be a repeat of the conditions that led to the Afghan civil war of 1992-1996.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cThis conclusion is widely shared among US officials working on Afghanistan,\u201d the Post reports<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">US intelligence analysts did not provide a detailed mapping of areas they believe are likely to become controlled by specific groups or warlords in coming years, the Post adds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The central government will lose control also because it will not have the power to \u201cpurchase\u201d loyalties of regional warlords, the report says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The earlier version of the 2013 report also includes an assessment of Pakistan\u2019s economic troubles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cEconomically, trouble looms. Pakistan, with its small tax base, poor system of tax collection, and reliance on foreign aid, faces no real prospects for sustainable economic growth,\u201d it warns.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Commenting on the economic performance of the previous Pakistani government, the report says that it is \u201cunwilling to address economic problems that continue to constrain economic growth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source:<em><strong> PakistanToday<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Taliban and other militant groups will have the upper hand in Afghanistan by 2017 even if the United States maintains a small military presence in the country, says a new US intelligence report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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