Afghanistan on Thursday welcomed US plans to send up to 3,000 additional marines to counter an expected Taliban spring offensive but insisted the long-term solution is to boost Afghan forces. The defence ministry said more international troops are needed to battle the extremist militia, which is believed to be preparing to intensify its attacks as soon as the winter snows melt.
"At present, we need foreign forces to maintain peace and security. We welcome the increase in numbers and facilities," ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi told AFP. "But the long-term solution is that we need support to increase Afghan forces in quality and quantity, so they can take up the responsibility for their country."
Since the collapse of the hard-line Taliban regime in late 2001, Afghanistan has seen a significant slowdown in the militants' activities each winter, followed by a surge when the weather improves in spring.
"We don't expect any particular spring offensive this year, just the normal increase in activities every spring," Azimi said. The Afghan army is expected to reach 70,000 troops in the first half of this year. A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, told AFP in a telephone call that the United States needed more troops to replace those killed in the past year.
"They bring more soldiers to scare the mujahideen and the Afghan people. They need to remember that 120,000 Russians also came here but were defeated and left our land," Mujahid said.
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates is considering sending about 3,000 marines to Afghanistan in anticipation of a spike in Taliban attacks once roads and mountains become passable again in spring, a Pentagon spokesman said Wednesday. Currently, there are 26,000 US troops in Afghanistan, most of them under the 40,000-strong Nato-led International Security Assistance Force.