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| An Afghan Air Force MI-17 Helicopter (Image: Wiki Commons) |
by Gulabudin Ghubar
Reports indicate that U.S defense department officials asked Congress to stop buying Russian MI17 helicopters for Afghan forces and instead to buy American helicopters.
In addition, a number of senators also reportedly asked why the U.S should use American taxpayers' money to pay Russia for the hardware when it was backing Bashar Assad's regime in Syria.
"In the face of Russia's attempts to undermine our foreign policy goals in the Middle East and its continuing aggression in Ukraine, it is time that the United States ends its reliance on Russian-made helicopters for operations in Afghanistan," said U.S congresswoman Rosa DeLauro.
However, it is believed that the U.S may have taken the decision amid deteriorating relations between Washington and Moscow.
"Perhaps this is because the relationship between Washington and Moscow is worsening now and that U.S wants to stop buying helicopters from Russia. But the issue is that based on the security agreement between Afghanistan and the U.S, America must equip Afghan forces," said Daud Kalakani, a member of parliament.
Read the full story at TOLOnews