Afghanistan: NATO no longer publishes data on Taliban attacks

Afghan military personnel at the scene of a suicide attack in Kabul, April 29, 2020. REUTERS / Omar Sobhani

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An official American report criticizes this restriction of information of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, led by the United States, at the time when Washington reduces its military presence.

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The more the information published on the Taliban is limited, the more the understanding of the evolution of the conflict is limited, estimates the official American report , whereas Donald Trump keeps repeating that he wants to repatriate the American troops as quickly as possible engaged on the Afghan field since 2001. “  This quarter, RS (Resolute support, the name of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, Editor's note) has for the first time restricted the public dissemination of all data on the attacks launched by the 'enemy  ', observes the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Reconstruction of Afghanistan (Sigar, which depends on Congress), whose reports are often very critical.

A new restriction of information when the United States signed an agreement with the Taliban on February 29, in which it undertakes to withdraw all foreign troops from the country within fourteen months. In return, the Taliban made only vague commitments, including holding talks with Kabul. And after the nine-day truce observed during the signing of the agreements, violence resumed again .

►Also listen: Afghanistan: " The Doha agreement is not a peace agreement "

In 2018, the Pentagon had already prohibited the Sigar from publishing the number of districts controlled by the rebels and the proportion of the Afghan population being more or less under their authority, while the control of the Afghan government on his country did not stop decreasing . Another important indicator missing, Kabul had also asked to classify the human losses suffered by its security forces.

These figures for the Taliban attacks were "  one of the last parameters that the Sigar could use to report publicly on the security situation in Afghanistan,  " said the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Reconstruction of Afghanistan.

(with AFP)

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  • Afghanistan
  • Taliban
  • United States
  • Nato
  • Defense

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