'Diplomatic Surge' a Chance For Trump's Afghanistan Strategy to Succeed - Cardin

The United States needs to engage regional partners in diplomacy to resolve the conflict in Afghanistan as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to end America’s longest war, US Senator Ben Cardin said in an interview on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Monday, Trump announced the new strategy for Afghanistan, which included expanded authority for US troops to target terrorists in the Asian country.

"I think the president calling on the regional cooperation, that was the right thing," Cardin told MSNBC. "We need to have Pakistan to be more cooperative partner in dealing with Afghanistan."

Trump also called for greater involvement by India in a diplomatic push to end the 16 year conflict — the longest war in US history.

"We need a diplomatic surge," Cardin explained on Tuesday. "We need the president to be able to engage with regional partners and get the parties to talk about the future of Afghanistan in a peaceful way, so there are no voids for terrorist organizations to operate."

Calling on Pakistan and Afghan authorities to increase their efforts in the region is a step in the right direction, Cardin added.

The United States currently has 8,400 troops in Afghanistan in addition to 5,000 NATO forces.

The United States and its allies launched a military operation in Afghanistan in 2001 following the September 11, 2011 terror attacks on the United States.

The mission in Afghanistan ended in 2014. On January 1, 2015, NATO announced its new mission in the country, called Resolute Support, to train and assist the Afghan security forces.