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The commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan told lawmakers Thursday that more than half of Taliban fighters are in favor of talks with the Afghan government.
"The estimates I've heard both from Afghan perspective and probably from intel community is anywhere between 60 or 70 percent with potentially reconcilable on the Taliban side," Gen. John Campbell told the House Armed Services Committee.
Campbell, who was testifying at a hearing on a deadly U.S. airstrike on a hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders in Kunduz, Afghanistan, said the al-Qaida affiliated Haqqani network does not seem to be open to talks.
Responding to a lawmaker, the senior officer also said he would suggest more U.S. forces stay in Afghanistan beyond 2016. President Barack Obama wants to leave about 1,000 troops by 2017.
"If we came down to 1,000 — there is no counterterrorism structured force in those numbers," according to Campbell, who said coalition forces in Afghanistan has been reduced to 14,000, of which approximately 10,000 are U.S. troops.
Of the U.S. forces there, 1,300 are involved in training and advising, he told lawmakers, and only 500 of them are operating outside of Kabul.
Regarding airstrikes Saturday in Kunduz that killed 22 people, including staff with the medical aid group Doctors Without Borders, Campbell said operation centers there make rigorous assessments before directing fighter jets on a target, noting the need for a detailed investigation into the incident.
Asked whether the presence of Taliban fighters in a hospital would make it a legitimate target for airstrikes, he said "No."
Gen. Campbell also briefed the Senate Armed Services Committee on the Kunduz strike on Wednesday. - Washington DC
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