McCain unveils his Afghan war strategy

▶ Senior senator wants ‘open-ended’ US presence

In a rebuke of US president Donald Trump, senator John McCain yesterday unveiled his strategy for the war in Afghanistan that included more US troops and greater counterterrorism efforts.

“Nearly seven months into president Trump’s administration, we’ve had no strategy at all as conditions on the ground have worsened,” said Mr McCain, the Republican chairman of the senate armed services committee.

“The thousands of Americans putting their lives on the line in Afghanistan deserve better from their commander-in-chief.”

Mr McCain said the US needed to put strict conditions on continued assistance to Afghanistan.

The government should be required to show “measurable progress” in curbing corruption, strengthening the rule of law, and improving financial transparency.

Mr McCain said he would seek a vote on his “strategy for success” when the senate reconvenes in September and takes up the annual defence policy bill.

Frustrated by his options, Mr Trump has withheld approval of a long-delayed Afghanistan war strategy as he searches for a plan that will allow American forces to pull out once and for all.

The United States has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan, and Mr Trump has so far resisted the Pentagon’s recommendations to send almost 4,000 more.

The troop deployment has been held up amid broader strategy questions, including how to engage regional powers in an effort to stabilise the fractured nation.

These powers include US friends and foes, from Pakistan and India to China, Russia and Iran.

The Pentagon’s plans do not call for a radical departure from the limited approach endorsed by former president Barack Obama, and several officials have credited Mr Trump with asking tough questions, such as how the approach might lead to success.

But Mr McCain has grown increasingly impatient.

The amendment he proposes to add to the defence policy bill calls for a “longterm, open-ended” US-Afghanistan partnership that includes an “enduring US counterterrorism presence”.

Mr McCain envisions making better use of US military and civil strengths in order to “deny, disrupt, degrade and destroy” the ability of terrorist groups to use Afghanistan as a sanctuary and then seek a “negotiated peace process”.

He also wants to punish Pakistan with diplomatic, military and economic costs “as long as it continues to provide support to terrorist and insurgent groups, including the Taliban and the Haqqani Network”.