UNITED NATIONS: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Thursday that his US counterpart’s new strategy for South Asia had turned around the 16-year war against Taliban militants and other radical Islamic terrorists.

“Since the decision, there’s been an immense change on the ground. I’ve been to six of our seven army corps, and they all greet you, and the people of the United States, and the American soldiers and officers who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with them,” said Mr Ghani at a joint news briefing with US President Donald Trump in New York.

Mr Ghani had a detailed meeting with Mr Trump on the sidelines of the 72nd UN General Assembly, attended by a record number of world leaders.

Paying glowing tributes to the US president, Mr Ghani said that the new US strategy that President Trump announced in his Aug 21 address had made “a difference of day and night.”

“The cloud of uncertainty has been lifted, but equally important is your commitment to a political solution at the end of this process,” he said.

Mr Trump’s new strategy sets long-term goals for the war effort, pledges to send more US troops to train and assist the Afghan military and gives more powers to those on the ground to engage the militants.

This sharply contrasts with the policies of his predecessor, President Barack Obama, who had begun a drawdown of US troops but halted the pullout as conditions deteriorated.

“You made this decision on the basis of courage and determination. We salute you,” Mr Ghani said of the renewed commitment to the war.

“We’re training and we’re working with them very closely, but it’s the Afghans that are doing the fighting,” said Mr Trump while responding to Mr Ghani’s remarks.

“I’ve also heard, not only this morning but over the last few weeks, that the spirit is tremendous over there of your Afghan forces and of the American forces,” he added.

“We’re there for a number of reasons, but one of the reasons is to stop these terrorist organisations which, for whatever reason, seem to accumulate in Afghanistan more than anyplace else,” Mr Trump said.

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Ghani said that abolishing alleged militant hideouts in Pakistan was critical to establishing peace in Afghanistan.

“Reduction of safe havens is absolutely necessary,” Ghani told National Public Radio in an interview broadcast on Thursday.

Neither Mr Trump nor Mr Ghani mentioned Pakistan at their joint news briefing after their discussion. But in the interview, Mr Ghani said Pakistan’s role was a key part of the Trump strategy to eliminate a rising extremist threat in Afghanistan.

Mr Trump’s Aug 21 speech infuriated Pakistan by accusing Islamabad of providing extremists haven. He also threatened to withhold military aid if Pakistan did not destroy the Haqqani network.

“I hope that this time, Pakistan will get the message loud and clear that business as usual cannot continue. It’s not in their interest. It’s not in anyone’s interest,” Mr Ghani said.

“Pakistan has never had this type of dialogue with the US and I hope that wisdom and shared national interests will prevail,” he added.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2017