Monday, November 9th 2009 - 12:38 UTC

Gorbachev urges Obama to withdraw from Afghanistan

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has urged the United States to withdraw all its military forces from Afghanistan. Gorbachev told CNN in an interview on Sunday that “withdrawal from Afghanistan should be the goal.”

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“I think that our experience deserves attention” said the former leader of the Soviet Union

The Soviet Union's last leader also advised US President Barack Obama against sending additional troops to Afghanistan. “I think that what are needed are not additional forces”.

He made the remarks as Washington mulls sending as many as 40,000 additional troops to Afghanistan.

Gorbachev, who governed the USSR from 1985 until its break up in 1991, urged the US to follow his country's model during its occupation of Afghanistan. “I think that our experience deserves attention.”

Many historians say the occupation of Afghanistan was a major factor behind the collapse of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev advised the US to focus on “dialogue” in Afghanistan in order to end “the long suffering of the people.”

“We addressed also this issue through an international conference, and we were in consultation with America, with the Iranians, with Pakistan and with India,” he added.