Islamic State claws are in Afghanistan soil, warns former US and NATO forces commander

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/

FORMER supreme allied commander of US and NATO forces Admiral James Stavridis has warned against a withdrawal from Afghanistan, claiming the war-torn country is at risk of again becoming a global magnet for terrorism.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph, the four-star admiral, regarded as one of the world’s leading military strategists, said coalition countries including Australia had to remain engaged in Afghanistan as Islamic State tried to spread its reign of terror.

His calls for the US to remain engaged despite a 2016 deadline for withdrawal of forces echoed Foreign Minister Julie Bishop’s support yesterday, revealed in The Telegraph, for a longer Australian deployment.

“We are seeing co-operation between the Taliban and IS,” Admiral Stavridis said. “It is extremely worrying. It underscores the need for constant surveillance especially electronic surveillance.

‘‘What is concerning is that the different groups are also competing. We have to stay engaged in Afghanistan. We don’t need to send 10,000 allied forces back in there but we have to maintain a strong mentoring and training and assistance in the country.

“We cannot takes our eyes off ­Afghanistan. We have to still be ­engaged there.”

Admiral Stavridis said the US needed to also maintain its strong intelligence network in the troubled nation, which it shared with Australia through the ‘‘five eyes’’ network.

He praised Afghanistan’s new President Ashraf Ghani and moves to begin counter terrorism intelligence co-operation with Pakistan after decades of suspicion between the neighbours.

Ms Bishop, who flew into the capital Kabul on Monday to meet the new Afghan leadership, has ramped up pressure on the US to stay in Afghanistan after President Obama issued a 2016 deadline for withdrawing. Ms Bishop confirmed there were intelligence concerns that IS was now trying to expand its sphere of influence into Afghanistan and posed a new existential threat.

She also confirmed the US would be asked to reconsider the 2016 deadline for full withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“(President Ghani) has made the case that the time frame may need to be adjusted depending on the opportunities and challenges that present over the next two years,” Ms Bishop said after visiting the 400 Australian troops in Afghanistan.