India Steps in to Support Afghanistan
With American forces on the way out, India has pledged one billion dollars to support the government of Afghanistan.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged $1 billion in economic aid to Afghanistan during a two-day summit with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
Modi pledged India’s “abiding support for a unified, sovereign, democratic, peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan,” according to The Diplomat. The two countries signed economic agreements but also pledged to work together to combat terrorism.
In a visit to India in August, U.S. General Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, asked for India to supply additional helicopters to Afghanistan. A batch of three Mi-25 helicopter gunships was supplied to Afghanistan in December 2015.
The U.S. is attempting to extricate itself from Afghanistan, however President Barack Obama said America’s 8,500 soldiers will remain in Afghanistan until the next administration.
As the U.S. pulls back from Afghanistan, other countries will need to step in and support Afghanistan to ensure that it does not fall back into the hands of the Taliban or Al-Qaeda or even ISIS. India has a vested interest in ensuring that Afghanistan remains stable, since it is also threatened by jihadis. India has suffered from terrorist attacks in the past.
America cannot defeat global Islamist extremism alone and requires the support of its allies to win both the military and ideological fights. India is showing signs of being committed to the same goal of defeating terrorism.
