US Should Strike Afghan Taliban to Avoid Iraq-Style Caliphate

The US military should broaden its air campaign against Taliban fighters to ensure Afghanistan is not overrun by Islamic militants like Iraq was after President Barack Obama withdrew forces, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Steven Bucci told Sputnik.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier this week, the Washington Post reported, citing government officials, that a proposal by US military leaders to resume offensive strikes against the Taliban was met with a "chilly" reception at the White House.

"Yes, absolutely," Bucci stated when asked if the US military should recommence its air campaign against the Taliban. "The president wants out, the military is looking at Iraq and wants to at least get close to finishing the job [in Afghanistan]."

The Daesh terrorist group has captured and proclaimed an Islamic caliphate over large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria since 2013, roughly two years after Obama withdrew all forces from Iraq.

Bucci also noted, however, that the military’s job is to give its best professional advice while civilian leaders choose the actual policy.

The White House reaction to the Department of Defense’s plan, Bucci continued, mirrors the same kind of chilly reception US General George Patton received when he proposed attacking the Soviet Union at the end of World War II.

"Does anyone think it would have been a good idea for [US President Harry] Truman to have been forced to take that advice?" he suggested.

The Obama administration plans to reduce troop levels in Afghanistan to 5,500 by the end of 2016. The US mission in Afghanistan will focus on counterterrorism operations and continuing to train and assist Afghan security forces.