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US defense chief Hegseth downplays NATO allies’ role in Afghanistan war
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday appeared to minimize the contributions of America’s NATO allies during the war in Afghanistan. His comments echoed a recurring message from the White House and President Donald Trump: that NATO member nations must bolster their defense spending to meet alliance commitments.
Speaking before the US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Hegseth recalled a remark often made by U.S. troops during his own service in Afghanistan. Referring to the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) patch worn by coalition soldiers, he said it was jokingly interpreted by many U.S. soldiers as “I saw Americans fighting.”
“Ultimately it was a lotta flags. Lotta flags. [But it] was not a lot of on-the-ground capability,” Hegseth continued in disparaging the NATO troops. “You’re not a real coalition, you’re not a real alliance, unless you have real defense capability, and real armies that can bring those to bear.”
His comments sparked immediate criticism from Senator Chris Coons, who pointed to the significant sacrifices made by NATO allies after 9/11, when the alliance invoked Article 5 for the first time. Coons emphasized that countries like Denmark, despite their small populations, endured high per-capita casualties — second only to the U.S.
“Let’s just make clear for the record that our military partners in Afghanistan included many who served and died,” Coons said.
Hegseth pushed back, saying his remarks weren’t meant to disregard those sacrifices.
“Don’t try and make it look like I don’t care about the investments of our partners,” said the secretary. “Of course I do. I recognize that there were lives lost from other countries. But the bulk of the effort was Americans.”
Over the two-decade war in Afghanistan, 31 other countries joined the U.S.-led effort. The U.S. suffered 2,461 military deaths, with the UK next highest at 457. Other NATO allies also lost personnel in combat and non-combat incidents.
Pakistan on Friday summoned Afghan Deputy Head of Mission in Islamabad to convey “strong demarche” over a deadly attack on a military camp in North Waziristan District that killed four Pakistani soldiers.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attack was carried out by a faction of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The statement said that Pakistan conveyed “grave concern over the continued support and facilitation” provided by the Islamic Emirate to TTP.
Pakistan has demanded “a full investigation and decisive action against the perpetrators and facilitators of the terrorist attacks launched against Pakistan from Afghan soil.”
It urged the Islamic Emirate “to take immediate, concrete and verifiable measures against all terror groups operating from its territory, including their leadership, and deny the continued use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan.
According to the statement, the Islamic Emirate has been “categorically informed that Pakistan reserves the right to defend its sovereignty and protect its citizens, and will take all necessary measures to respond to terrorism originating from Afghan soil.”
Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are originated from Afghan soil, a charge the Islamic Emirate denies.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has underscored Afghanistan’s continued importance in regional cooperation, saying the country remains one of the key areas of interaction among regional partners.
Addressing the first summit of the “Central Asia Plus Japan” dialogue, Mirziyoyev said participating countries share a common aspiration to see Afghanistan become peaceful, stable, and oriented toward meaningful development.
The Uzbek president praised Japan’s longstanding and consistent support for Afghanistan, noting that Tokyo has for many years been among the leading donors and partners assisting the Afghan people.
He expressed confidence that coordinated efforts and joint contributions by regional countries and Japan would help improve living standards in Afghanistan, advance socio-economic and infrastructure development, and facilitate the country’s active involvement in regional economic projects.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan announced on Friday that the country has allocated $19.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Japanese Embassy said it hopes the aid will help bring positive change to the lives of vulnerable Afghans.
According to the statement, the assistance will cover the basic humanitarian needs of vulnerable communities in Afghanistan.
The embassy added that the aid will be delivered through United Nations agencies, international organizations, and Japanese non-governmental organizations operating in Afghanistan.
Japan’s total assistance to Afghanistan since August 2021 has reached more than $549 million.
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