The U.S. military says Afghan security forces are back on the offensive and are gaining momentum a year after a resurgent Taliban knocked government troops back on their heels.
“It’s still obviously very early in the fighting season, long way to go, and frankly there will be bad days over the coming months,” said spokesman Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland, “but at this point we do believe that the [Afghan National Defense and Security Forces] has performed better this year than they were performing last year.”
Cleveland, the top U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan, said based on the slow steady improvement in the performance of the Afghan Army and especially elite special forces, the U.S. is cautiously optimistic that Taliban gains in 2015 will be reversed in 2016.
“Overall we do believe they have some momentum right now,” Cleveland told reporters at the Pentagon Wednesday in a videoconference from Kabul.
Cleveland cited a number of factors for optimism, including more proficiency in operating newly-acquired equipment and capabilities, in particular A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft.
Cleveland said four of the twin-seat aircraft were now conducting “multiple” airstrikes a week in support of Afghan forces on the ground, and four more would be certified operational next month, bringing the fledgling Afghan Air Force a total of eight planes.
But more importantly, he said Afghan forces have retaken the initiative.
“They have switched from this defensive mindset that they had last year, into an offensive mindset.”
Cleveland also admitted the killing of Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour last month in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan will likely have little impact on the Taliban’s will to fight.
“I don’t believe we will see peace talks anytime in the short term.”
The man who replaced Mansour, Mullah Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada, is every bit as militant as his predecessor.
“He is the one who has been issuing fatwahs about sending suicide bombers out. He is the one who issued fatwahs that it was OK for Taliban to kill Taliban, particularly those who didn’t support Mullah Mansour,” Cleveland said. “We shouldn’t underestimate this guy.”
