The Washington Post says a new U.S. government intelligence assessment warns that the gains the United States and its allies have made in Afghanistan during the past three years are likely to be significantly eroded by 2017.
The newspaper said it spoke with officials who have read the classified National Intelligence Estimate, which includes input from 16 U.S. intelligence agencies.
According to the report, the assessment predicts that the Taliban will become increasingly influential as the United States winds down its involvement in the war.
The report says the assessment also predicts that Afghanistan will likely “descend into chaos quickly” if Washington and the Afghan government don’t sign a new security pact to permit a contingent of foreign troops to stay in Afghanistan after 2014 for training and antiterrorism operations.
The newspaper said it spoke with officials who have read the classified National Intelligence Estimate, which includes input from 16 U.S. intelligence agencies.
According to the report, the assessment predicts that the Taliban will become increasingly influential as the United States winds down its involvement in the war.
The report says the assessment also predicts that Afghanistan will likely “descend into chaos quickly” if Washington and the Afghan government don’t sign a new security pact to permit a contingent of foreign troops to stay in Afghanistan after 2014 for training and antiterrorism operations.