Page 2 - ATODAY

A2

UP FRONTMonday 18 July 2016

Following failed coup: Commander says US support of
Afghans could be game-changerÂ
Crackdown in Turkey raises fresh concernsÂ
ROBERT BURNS
SARAH EL DEEB On Sunday, Prime Minister with Kurdish rebels. AP National Security Writer
SUZAN FRASER Binali Yildirim said the coup Speaking to a large crowd KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — President Barack Obama’s
Associated Press had failed and life has of supporters in front of his decision to allow more aggressive U.S. military ac-
ISTANBUL (AP) — Following returned to normal. “An- Istanbul residence Sunday tion in support of Afghan combat operations against
a failed coup against Turk- other calamity has been evening, Erdogan respond- the Taliban could have a game-changing effect on
ish President Recep Tayyip thwarted,” Yildirim said in ed to frequent calls of “We the long war, Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. com-
Erdogan, the government Ankara after visiting state want the death penalty!” mander in Afghanistan, said Saturday.
moved swiftly Sunday to TRT television, which had by saying: “We hear your After prohibiting U.S. forces from targeting the Taliban
except in limited circumstances beginning in 2015,
People chant slogans as they gather at a pro-government rally in central Istanbul’s Taksim square. Obama shifted course last month and said Nichol-
Forces loyal to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan quashed a coup attempt in a night of son could use U.S. airpower and other military assets
explosions, air battles and gunfire that left some hundreds of people dead and scores of others against the Taliban if it supported offensive Afghan
wounded Saturday. action as part of a strategic campaign plan.
What that amounts to, Nicholson said in an Associated
(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Press interview at his military headquarters in Kabul,
is encouragement for the Afghans to stay on the of-
shore up his power and re- been seized by soldiers sup- request. In a democracy, fense.
move those perceived as porting the coup. “How- whatever the people want “Armies win on the offense,” he said, alluding to long-
an enemy, saying it has de- ever, our duty is not over. they will get.” Grief-stricken standing U.S. concerns that Afghan commanders
tained 6,000 people. We shall rapidly conduct relatives in Ankara and Is- have been too passive, defensive and lacking in ag-
The crackdown targeted the cleansing operation tanbul buried those killed gressive strategies for pursing the Taliban once the mili-
not only generals and sol- so that they cannot again in the coup attempt, and tants begin to lose ground.
diers, but a wide swath of show the audacity of com- prayers for the dead were “The ability to help the Afghan security forces when
the judiciary that has some- ing against the will of the read simultaneously at they are on the offense is really where we want to be,
times blocked Erdogan, people.” Yildirim said those noon Sunday at Turkey’s because when they have the initiative, when they are
raising concerns that the involved with the failed 85,000 mosques. Erdogan on the offense, when they are taking the fight to the
effort to oust him will push coup “will receive every attended a funeral for his enemy, that’s how they’re going to be successful,”
Turkey even further into au- punishment they deserve.” campaign manager Erol Nicholson said.
thoritarian rule. Erdogan suggested that Olcak and his 16-year-old Nicholson said that the attempted coup in Turkey
Friday night’s sudden upris- Turkey might reinstate capi- son, Abdullah Tayyip Ol- had no impact on the U.S.-led campaign to support-
ing by a faction of the mili- tal punishment, which was cak. The president wept Afghanistan in its war against the Taliban.
tary appeared to take the legally abolished in 2004 as and vowed to take the He said the international coalition he leads includes
government — and much part of the country’s bid to country forward in “unity more than 500 Turkish soldiers and he is pleased with
of the world — by surprise. join the European Union. and solidarity.”v The gov- what he called the professionalism of senior Turkish mili-
The plotters sent warplanes Even before the weekend ernment’s announcement tary officers who supported the government against
firing on key government chaos in Turkey, the NATO that 6,000 people had the coup leaders. He said he believes the Turkish gov-
installations and tanks roll- member and key Western been detained — includ- ernment is “going to be fine.”
ing into major cities, but it ally in the fight against the ing three top generals and Obama officially ended the U.S. combat role in Af-
ended hours later when Islamic State group had hundreds of soldiers — sug- ghanistan in December 2014. He had intended to
loyal government forces been wracked by political gested a wide conspiracy. scale back the military presence to leave only a con-
regained control of the mil- turmoil that critics blamed Observers said the scale tingent at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, but he recently
itary, and civilians took to on Erdogan’s increasingly of the crackdown, espe- announced that 8,400 U.S. troops would remain when
the streets in support of Er- heavy-handed rule. He cially against the judiciary, he leaves office in January. There currently are about
dogan. At least 294 people has shaken up the govern- indicated the government 9,800 U.S. troops in the country.
were killed and more than ment, cracked down on was taking the opportunity Nicholson said he expects in coming weeks to make
1,400 wounded, the gov- dissent, restricted the me- to further consolidate Erdo- increasing use of his wider latitude to support offensive
ernment said. dia and renewed fighting gan’s power. q Afghan operations, including as the Afghan security
forces turn their attention this month to fighting the Tal-
iban in the east of the country.
The general said this could include not only more use
of U.S. combat airpower but also U.S. reconnaissance
and surveillance aircraft and resupply planes. Other
officials have said it may include the use of U.S. air
controllers on the ground to help pinpoint targets for
airstrikes against the Taliban.
Ultimately, Nicholson said, this could generate enough
Afghan offensive momentum to break the Taliban’s
belief that they can prevail and compel them to rec-
oncile with Kabul. It’s also true that U.S. commanders
inAfghanistan have been asserting for many years
that enough military pressure can be put on the Tal-
iban to bring them to the negotiating table, but that
has never happened. As recently as 2011 the U.S. had
100,000 troops in Afghanistan.
Also to be overcome is an escalating scale of battle-
field casualties suffered by the Afghans. Nicholson said
they had about 20,000 casualties last year, which oth-
ers have said included 5,000-plus killed in action and
14,000-plus wounded.q