Throughout the presidential election campaign, neither frontrunner – Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton – mentioned anything about Afghanistan during their debates and campaign speeches but a number of Afghan analysts have said they believe that no matter who wins, the U.S foreign policy towards Afghanistan will not change.
However, prior to embarking on their election campaign trails, both candidates supported the presence of nearly 3,200 U.S soldiers beyond 2017 in Afghanistan.
“After a new president takes over power in Washington D.C, … there will be nothing new in the United States’ foreign policy on Afghanistan,” said Mohammad Shafiq Hamdam, an international affairs researcher.
Hillary Clinton recently backed President Barack Obama’s decision to keep a number of U.S troops in Afghanistan.
She said the presence of U.S soldiers in Afghanistan is aimed at training and advising Afghan forces.
She also termed Pakistan’s role important for the Afghan peace process and called on Islamabad to avoid giving shelter to terrorists.
“It seems that the presence of adventurous figures in the U.S policy making process will cover Afghanistan as well,” said Nahid Farid, an analyst in international affairs.
However, Donald Trump has had different thoughts on Afghanistan. He said at the beginning of his campaign that he supports the extension of U.S troops in Afghanistan.
He has said that the presence of U.S troops in Afghanistan is needed in order to keep an eye on Pakistan, which has is a nuclear power.
“If Trump wins the U.S presidential elections, it seems that he will increase the number of American troops in Afghanistan and he will be serious in this respect. And he will act seriously against Pakistan,” said Najibullah Azad, head of Focus Research Center.http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/28238-us-foreign-policy-on-afghanistan-to-remain-unchanged-analysts
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