Daily Times

Shah Nawaz Tanai, who served as Afghanistan defence minister during the Soviet occupation in the 80s, has disputed remarks by US President Donald Trump that the erstwhile Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan because “terrorists were going into Russia.”

Speaking at the cabinet meeting this week, Trump justified the Soviet invasion and said “they (Soviets) were right to be there (Afghanistan)”.

Trump’s remarks were not welcomed in Afghanistan and the presidential palace recalled that all American presidents not only condemned the Soviet occupation but also supported the sacred “Jihad” after the invasion.

A statement posted on the president’s website said Afghans had started “Jihad” as the result of national resistance to defend sovereignty and independence against the Soviet invasion. The entire world had supported the Afghan nation and had condemned the Soviet invasion.

Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani wrote on twitter that the “Soviet occupation was a grave violation of Afghanistan’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.”

General Tanai, who staged a coup against communist leader Dr Najeebullah, said he was surprised to hear Trump’s remarks and said it was the US which had led the world to fight the Soviets. “There was no terrorist in the northern parts of Afghanistan to pose threats to Soviet Union until the invasion. But when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, fighting also started in northern Afghanistan like other parts,” Tanai told Daily Times from Kabul on Friday.

“There was no problem in the north and after the invasion people refused to accept the invasion and started resistance and many people started armed struggle. Donald Trump has ignored historical fact and talked nonsense,” the former Afghan defence minister said.

When asked about Trump’s statement that Russia, Pakistan and India should fight in Afghanistan, Tanai said US wants to pull of its longest war.

He said the US has failed to win the war in Afghanistan and that is why Trump has removed his defence minister General James Mattis. But the former Afghan defence minister said he does not believe the US will completely quit Afghanistan as it wants to counter the influence of Russia and Iran in Afghanistan and the region.

“Americans are also interested in the continuation of the present democratic and the pro-West system so they should not feel threatened,” said Tanai, who now heads a political party “Da Solay Ghorzang Gond” (Afghanistan Peace Movement).

“The US also has economic interests and eyes Afghanistan’s natural resources, gas and oil,” he went on to say.

He was of the view that the US has committed lots of mistakes in Afghanistan over the past 17 years and their military generals could not perform their duties sincerely.

“Afghanistan still faces serious security problems and nearly 50 people are killed almost daily in the country,” he said, holding the US military responsible for failure to ensure security in Afghanistan.

Published in Daily Times, January 5^th 2019