Afghanistan to slide into chaos after NATO troops leave: US

Afghanistan's slide towards chaos and political disintegration is likely to be more rapid after US and NATO forces withdraw from the war-torn country by the end of this year, a top American official warned today.
The presence of US and NATO forces is essential to train and assist Afghan security forces, which despite remarkable progress still need international help, US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins said.
"In the absence of a continued train, advise, and assist US and NATO military mission, Afghanistan's descent to widespread violence and political disintegration is likely to be much more rapid," Dobbins said in his key note address at a conference on Afghanistan by the US Institute of Peace.

Despite all the remarkable achievements, Afghanistan remains one of the poorest and least developed countries. "And also one of the more violent, although by no means the most. Despite its ethnic, linguistic, and religious divisions, there is no ethnic cleansing, no purely sectarian violence. But there is an ongoing insurgency," he said.
Dobbins said a recent Congressionally-mandated study by the Center for Naval Analysis found that Afghan security forces require not just external funding, but continued international military training, advice, and assistance for several more years if they are to sustain themselves against the Taliban and maintain control of major population centers.

"This is certainly consistent with the Administration's own analysis and that of our alliance partners. This is why we have negotiated a Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) and why NATO is negotiating its own status of forces agreement," he said.
The US had intended to conclude the BSA last fall, announce its planned 2015 troop commitment thereafter and to spend 2014 working with NATO members on the disposition and functioning of this new force, he said.
"Unfortunately, President (Hamid) Karzai's decision not to sign the accord that he negotiated, that he is not seeking to change, and that he agrees is important for Afghanistan, has thrown this timetable badly off," Dobbins said.