Progress in Afghanistan over the past three years is likely to be seriously eroded by 2017 even if Western powers continue to support Kabul financially, a media report said on Sunday, citing an intelligence assessment.
A new National Intelligence Estimate – which includes input from 16 US intelligence agencies – predicts that the Taliban and other powerbrokers will increase their influence even if <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">the United States leaves behind a few thousand troops and continues to fund authorities in Kabul, <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">the Washington Post reported in its Sunday edition.
US-led NATO forces are withdrawing from Afghanistan after more than a decade of fighting <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">the Taliban, but negotiations have stalled on a security accord that would allow some US and NATO troops to stay after 2014.
President Hamid Karzai first endorsed the deal -- which lays out rules for US troops, and would be the basis for other NATO forces -- but later said it might not be signed until after the April election that will choose his successor.
Signing the agreement is a precondition for the delivery of billions of dollars in <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">Western aid for Afghanistan over the next years.
The Post, citing officials who have seen <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">the intelligence report, said that Afghanistan will likely plunge into chaos if <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">the security agreement is not signed.
A new National Intelligence Estimate – which includes input from 16 US intelligence agencies – predicts that the Taliban and other powerbrokers will increase their influence even if <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">the United States leaves behind a few thousand troops and continues to fund authorities in Kabul, <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">the Washington Post reported in its Sunday edition.
US-led NATO forces are withdrawing from Afghanistan after more than a decade of fighting <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">the Taliban, but negotiations have stalled on a security accord that would allow some US and NATO troops to stay after 2014.
President Hamid Karzai first endorsed the deal -- which lays out rules for US troops, and would be the basis for other NATO forces -- but later said it might not be signed until after the April election that will choose his successor.
Signing the agreement is a precondition for the delivery of billions of dollars in <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">Western aid for Afghanistan over the next years.
The Post, citing officials who have seen <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">the intelligence report, said that Afghanistan will likely plunge into chaos if <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">the security agreement is not signed.