U.S. expert hails Obama's Afghanistan policy

by Jiang Guopeng

WASHINGTON, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Hailing President Barack Obama's policy towards Afghanistan as "the right strategy for the first time," Michael O'Hanlon, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, urged the Obama administration to send more troops to fight al-Qaida and the Taliban in the Asian country.

AFGHANISTAN'S IMPORTANCE

In an interview with Xinhua, O'Hanlon, who is specialized in defense and foreign policy, said Afghanistan's importance to the United States is greater than it used to be, especially since al-Qaida and the Taliban have been reviving their influence in the country and its neighboring Pakistan, a nuclear-armed country with 170 million people.

"Al-Qaida likes to have a sanctuary either in Afghanistan or in Pakistan, or along their border ... And if Pakistan is successful at controlling its own territory better in the future, al-Qaida could move right back to Afghanistan," said O'Hanlon.

Meanwhile, "the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan have begun to emerge and work together, and so if you were to allow Afghanistan to collapse, then it becomes a very convenient sanctuary for fighters who want to attack Pakistan."

Another reason for the United Stated to beef up security in Afghanistan is, according to O'Hanlon, related to its "moral obligation."

"There's a perception among many Muslims that the United States doesn't care about Muslims, We need to convince Muslims around the world that we value their people and we value their religion," he said.