The United States said Thursday that it supported continued<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/us-troop-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-its-effects-on-india-199574"> Indian involvement in Afghanistan</a>, even as President Donald Trump looks to withdraw troops.

India is one of the most enthusiastic backers of Afghanistan's government, contributing more than $3 billion since the 2001 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/timeline-of-two-decades-of-us-intervention-in-afghanistan-246619">US-led invasion toppled the Taliban</a>.

"The United States welcomes India's substantial investment in and assistance to Afghanistan," said Nancy Izzo Jackson, a State Department official in charge of Afghanistan.

"And we will continue to support efforts to achieve an honourable and enduring outcome in Afghanistan that preserves our investment in Afghanistan's future," she told a conference on India's role in Afghanistan at the Hudson Institute.

India constructed Afghanistan's new parliament building and has also wooed Afghans with its soft power, including Bollywood films.

But India's involvement in Afghanistan has been a cause of consternation for rival Pakistan, which has maintained ties to the Taliban in part citing fears of encirclement.

The United States earlier this year reached a deal with the Taliban to pull troops from Afghanistan and wind down America's longest war.

But Trump said in September that he was withdrawing an invitation to the insurgents to meet near Washington due to the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/two-us-service-members-killed-in-afghanistan-nato-244690"> killing of a US soldier.</a>

Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the Indian ambassador in Washington, said that any settlement in Afghanistan needed to ensure that "there is no room for any terrorist elements to create a foothold."

"It is also important to deliver the message to terrorists that democracies do not surrender to terrorism and in the ideological battle of the 'emirate' versus the 'republic,' the latter prevails," he said. 
&nbsp;

The United States said Thursday that it supported continued Indian involvement in Afghanistan, even as President Donald Trump looks to withdraw troops. India is one of the most enthusiastic backers of Afghanistan's government, contributing more than $3 billion since the 2001 US-led invasion toppled the Taliban.

The United States said Thursday that it supported continued Indian involvement in Afghanistan, even as President Donald Trump looks to withdraw troops. India is one of the most enthusiastic backers of Afghanistan's government, contributing more than $3 billion since the 2001 US-led invasion toppled the Taliban. "The United States welcomes India's substantial investment in and assistance to Afghanistan," said Nancy Izzo Jackson, a State Department official in charge of Afghanistan. "And we will continue to support efforts to achieve an honourable and enduring outcome in Afghanistan that preserves our investment in Afghanistan's future," she told a conference on India's role in Afghanistan at the Hudson Institute. India constructed Afghanistan's new parliament building and has also wooed Afghans with its soft power, including Bollywood films. But India's involvement in Afghanistan has been a cause of consternation for rival Pakistan, which has maintained ties to the Taliban in part citing fears of encirclement. The United States earlier this year reached a deal with the Taliban to pull troops from Afghanistan and wind down America's longest war. But Trump said in September that he was withdrawing an invitation to the insurgents to meet near Washington due to the killing of a US soldier. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the Indian ambassador in Washington, said that any settlement in Afghanistan needed to ensure that "there is no room for any terrorist elements to create a foothold." "It is also important to deliver the message to terrorists that democracies do not surrender to terrorism and in the ideological battle of the 'emirate' versus the 'republic,' the latter prevails," he said.

United States welcomes India's substantial assistance to Afghanistan: State department official

The United States wasted billions of dollars trying to stabilize fragile parts of Afghanistan from 2001-2017 and some efforts caused more harm than good, a US government watchdog said&nbsp;Thursday.

A report by the office of the Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction found that Washington had set unrealistic expectations for itself after the US-led invasion in 2001 and massively overestimated its ability to build and reform government institutions.

"Despite some heroic efforts to stabilize insecure and contested areas in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2017, the program mostly failed," Special Inspector General John Sopko said as he presented the report in Washington.

"This happened for a number of reasons, including the establishment of a set of unrealistic expectations about what could be achieved in just a few years' time."

The report found that the military pressured aid groups to build schools and infrastructure in areas that were still being contested by the Taliban, leading to the failure of many projects.

Most of the $4.7 billion in stabilization funds were spent after 2009 when a surge in troops to Afghanistan saw large area cleared of the Taliban -- a rush of Western experts then tried to build institutions in these areas.

But the "large sums of stabilization dollars the United States devoted to Afghanistan in search of quick gains often exacerbated conflicts, enabled corruption and bolstered support for insurgents," the report states.

"Opportunities for corruption and elite capture abounded, making many of those projects far more harmful than helpful," it adds.

The SIGAR analysis found that Washington had set expectations and programs not properly tailored for Afghanistan, and noted that successes in stabilizing Afghan districts rarely lasted longer than the physical presence of coalition troops and civilians.

"Under immense pressure to quickly stabilize insecure districts, US government agencies spent far too much money, far too quickly, in a country woefully unprepared to absorb it," SIGAR noted.

'Despite some heroic efforts to stabilize insecure and contested areas in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2017, the program mostly failed,' Special Inspector General John Sopko said

The United States wasted billions of dollars trying to stabilize fragile parts of Afghanistan from 2001-2017 and some efforts caused more harm than good, a US government watchdog said Thursday. A report by the office of the Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction found that Washington had set unrealistic expectations for itself after the US-led invasion in 2001 and massively overestimated its ability to build and reform government institutions. "Despite some heroic efforts to stabilize insecure and contested areas in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2017, the program mostly failed," Special Inspector General John Sopko said as he presented the report in Washington. "This happened for a number of reasons, including the establishment of a set of unrealistic expectations about what could be achieved in just a few years' time." The report found that the military pressured aid groups to build schools and infrastructure in areas that were still being contested by the Taliban, leading to the failure of many projects. Most of the $4.7 billion in stabilization funds were spent after 2009 when a surge in troops to Afghanistan saw large area cleared of the Taliban -- a rush of Western experts then tried to build institutions in these areas. But the "large sums of stabilization dollars the United States devoted to Afghanistan in search of quick gains often exacerbated conflicts, enabled corruption and bolstered support for insurgents," the report states. "Opportunities for corruption and elite capture abounded, making many of those projects far more harmful than helpful," it adds. The SIGAR analysis found that Washington had set expectations and programs not properly tailored for Afghanistan, and noted that successes in stabilizing Afghan districts rarely lasted longer than the physical presence of coalition troops and civilians. "Under immense pressure to quickly stabilize insecure districts, US government agencies spent far too much money, far too quickly, in a country woefully unprepared to absorb it," SIGAR noted.

US wasted billions in failed Afghan stabilization efforts: Official

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United States welcomes India's substantial assistance to Afghanistan: State department official

US wasted billions in failed Afghan stabilization efforts: Official