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WASHINGTON: Russia, Pakistan and Iran are malign actors in Afghanistan because they enable the insurgents fighting the Kabul government, says a report by an official US watchdog, quoting senior US military officials who raised this issue in recent congressional hearings. The US governments Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) notes that in the last quarter January to April 2017 a shockingly high number of official Afghan troops were killed in clashes with the militants. As many as 807 troops from the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces died between Jan 1 and Feb 24. The report, however, indicates that the renewed Russian involvement in Afghanistan was even more shocking for the US military than an unprecedented increase in attacks on both Afghan and American troops. This quarter, Russia appeared to step up its involvement in Afghanistan, claims the report, while noting that on Dec 2 last year, Gen John W. Nicholson Jr., the Commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan, labelled Russia, Pakistan, and Iran as malign actors that enable insurgent or terrorist groups in Afghanistan. Gen Nicholson also said that Russia lends public legitimacy to the Taliban, which undermines the Afghan government and Nato efforts to stabilise Afghanistan, the report adds. The SIGAR report includes quotes from Generals Curtis Scaparrotti, Commander, US European Command and Nato Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and Joseph Votel, Commander, United States Central Command, suggesting that Russia may be supplying the Taliban. Russian influence in Afghanistan has increased to the point that includes perhaps [they] even supply to the Taliban, Gen Scaparrotti said. Its fair to assume [the Russian government] may be providing some kind of support to [the Taliban] in terms of weapons or other things, Gen Votel added. The Russian government publicly rejected such remarks as incorrect. The report points out that US Secretary of Defence James Mattis has been more careful than his generals in commenting on Russias growing influence in Afghanistan. Im not willing to say at this point if that has manifested into weapons and that sort of thing. But certainly, what theyre up to there in light of their other activities gives us concern, the secretary said in a recent statement. The report also refers to a peace process initiated by Russia, China and Pakistan and noted that the three states met in Moscow on Dec 27, 2016, to discuss the security situation in Afghanistan. At the time, the Afghan government expressed its displeasure at not being invited to the meeting.

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Russia, Pakistan, Iran 'malign actors' in Afghanistan, says US report - Kasmir Monitor