Trump pursuing suicidal policy in Afghanistan: Scholar

The administration of US President Donald Trump is pursuing a suicidal, self-destructive policy in Afghanistan which will only prolong a losing war there, according to James Petras, an American writer and retired professor.

Petras, who has written dozens of books on international issues, made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Saturday while commenting on the new troop deployment by the US to Afghanistan.

On Thursday, the US Department of Defense announced about 3,000 additional American troops have been deployed to Afghanistan under Trump's new war strategy for the country.

The Pentagon had previously said about 11,000 US forces were stationed in Afghanistan. The new deployment has raised the number of American troops in the war-torn country to at least 14,000.

“I think this addition of troops is a hopeless expedition that has no sense at all because the US has been in Afghanistan for over 16 years and has not succeeded in conquering the country,” Professor Petras told Press TV.

“I think it’s an effort by the Trump administration to somehow oust the Taliban but has instead invited the Taliban to engage in attacks on the government in its very capital, and in which the US has been unable to advance beyond its garrisons especially in the capital,” he said.

“It makes no sense at all by any calculations -- militarily, politically, economically," the analyst noted.

“I think it is a suicidal policy which will only prolong a losing war in which the Trump administration has engaged in an adventure which is totally irrational and self-destructive,” he concluded.

In August, Trump announced his controversial war strategy for Afghanistan. In a blatant U-turn from his campaign pledges to end the now 16-year occupation of Afghanistan, Trump said that his views had changed since entering the White House and that he would continue the military intervention “as long as we see determination and progress” in Afghanistan.

Trump authorized an increase of thousands of troops requested by US Army General John Nicholson, Commander of Resolute Support forces and American forces in Afghanistan.

Nicholson has said he needs about 16,000 troops in Afghanistan, and NATO countries have also pledged to help make up the difference.

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The United States -- under Republican George W. Bush’s presidency -- and its allies invaded Afghanistan on October 7, 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban regime from power, but after more than one and a half decades, the foreign troops are still deployed to the country.

After becoming the president in 2008, President Barack Obama, a Democrat, vowed to end the Afghan war -- one of the longest conflicts in US history – but he failed to keep his promise.

Trump, who has spoken against the Afghan war, has dubbed the 2001 invasion and following occupation of Afghanistan as "Obama's war".

But now Trump has announced to deploy thousands of more troops to the war-torn country, signaling a policy shift.

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