U.S. military and intelligence officials split over ISIS threat in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — Senior U.S. military and intelligence officials are sharply divided over how much of a threat the Islamic State group in Afghanistan poses to the West, a critical point in the Trump administration’s debate over whether U.S. troops stay or withdraw after nearly 18 years of war.
U.S. military commanders in Afghanistan have described the Islamic State affiliate there as a growing problem that is capable of inspiring and directing attacks in western countries, including the United States.
But intelligence officials in Washington disagree, arguing the group is mostly incapable of exporting terrorism worldwide. The officials believe the Islamic State in Afghanistan, known as Islamic State Khorasan, remains a regional problem.
Whether to keep counterterrorism forces in Afghanistan is at the heart of the Trump administration’s internal debate over the future of the war.
A State Department envoy is leading negotiations for a peace deal that would give the Taliban political power in Afghanistan and withdraw international troops. For months, the Trump administration has been drafting plans to cut the 14,000 U.S. forces stationed there. On Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Trump had ordered a reduction in the number of troops in Afghanistan before the 2020 presidential election.
But current and former officials, including retired Army Gens. Jack Keane and David Petraeus, are lobbying the Trump administration to maintain several thousand Special Operations forces in Afghanistan. Doing so, they argue, will keep terrorist groups from returning and help prevent the collapse of the Afghan government.
“U.S. troops in Afghanistan have prevented another catastrophic attack on our homeland for 18 years,” Keane said. “Expecting the Taliban to provide that guarantee in the future by withdrawing all U.S. troops makes no sense.”
A United Nations report released this week concluded the Islamic State Khorasan was responsible for 423 of the 3,812 civilians killed or wounded in Afghanistan during the first six months of 2019.