Zamir Kabulov urges NATO to change its tactics in Afghanistan

Russian ambassador to Afghanistan Zamir Kabylov has described the NATO mission in Afghanistan as ineffective. He made this statement after another session of Russia-NATO council at the ambassadors’ level in Brussels.

Zamir Kabulov urged the alliance to change its tactics and strategy in Afghanistan. He believes that negligence of Afghans national, religious and cultural traditions by NATO is a mistake. Moreover, in the end these people are their own Pashtuns. Owing to this the Taliban movement plays up the alliance in the propaganda war, said Z. Kabulov.

“If the things were going on as it is, it will be first and foremost a complete defeat, military and political and when this will happen is only a question of time,” Zamir Kabulov concluded. In view of this, Kabulov urged NATO to change its tactics and strategy in Afghanistan. “The NATO military presence (in Afghanistan) could be increased further but the move will not solve the problem. Afghanistan’s human resources combined with those in Pakistan, especially in tribal zones where Taliban operates freely now are many times more than the capabilities of NATO countries joined together,” the Russian ambassador said.

He believes that the only solution for NATO is the formation of really efficient Afghan army and police, which is achievable. “The US treasury has to spend on an American soldier more money than an Afghan company. This correlation should be changed and money should be directed to Afghanistan. This is affordable for Americans and NATO,” Zamir Kabulov said.

The meeting in Kabul was devoted to Afghanistan, and Kabulov was invited to address the gathering as an expert on the initiative of the Russian mission in NATO.

Meanwhile Russia’s permanent envoy to NATO Dmitri Rogozin proposed to hold a Russia-NATO Council meeting at the level of ambassadors close to Afghanistan. “We support holding a NATO meeting in a place very close to the region,” D. Rogozin said.