The Pentagon and other U.S. leaders from the White House to Capitol Hill have expressed alarm about a recent surge in violence in Afghanistan, amid fears that it will lead to a widespread civil war and the collapse of the Afghan government and its military.
During his final press conference in Kabul earlier this week, Miller painted a grim picture of the security situation. He noted the rapid loss of districts around the country to the Taliban and warned that “a civil war is certainly a path that can be visualized if this continues on the trajectory it’s on right now, that should be of concern to the world.”
The U.S., meanwhile, is also scrambling to develop a plan to get some of the thousands of Afghan interpreters and others who aided the U.S.-led coalition out of the country. While the U.S. military is not expected to play a major role in the evacuation, troops may be needed to ensure security for the departures.Thus, while the military has hastened its exit, security requires that the September deadline remain the final goal.
‘We remain on the timeline that the president announced just a few weeks ago, which is to get our troops out of Afghanistan, while having a remaining diplomatic presence on the ground, by September,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki this week.
Officials have repeatedly stressed that security at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul is a critical requirement for keeping any U.S. diplomatic staff in Afghanistan. While Turkey has agreed to continue that mission, agreements with the Afghans and the U.S. have not been finalized.
As part of the agreement with Turkey, the U.S. would keep a C-RAM or Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar system at the airport, as well as troops to operate it. The U.S. also plans to leave aircrew for helicopter support at the airport.
It is unclear exactly when Miller will board a plane and depart with his staff and security, but it is expected soon. Once he leaves and the equipment withdrawal is complete, the U.S. will shift its focus to two missions protecting the diplomats and providing financial and logistical support to the Afghan government from outside the country.
That withdrawal essentially fulfills an agreement made when the Trump administration signed a peace deal with the Taliban in February 2020. The deal called for the withdrawal of U.S. forces by May 2021, and in exchange, the Taliban vowed to cut ties with al-Qaida and ensure that Afghanistan would not again become a safe haven for militants seeking to attack the U.S. After taking office, Biden moved the withdrawal deadline to Sept. 11.
The U.S. has also made it clear that it will continue to monitor terror groups operating in Afghanistan, including al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. And the U.S. maintains its authority to strike any militants that pose a threat to the American homeland. Bagram Airfield, a massive complex north of Kabul that has long been the heart of American military power in Afghanistan, is to be turned over to the Afghans any day now.
NATO agreed in April to pull out its roughly 7,000 non-American forces, and as of this week 19 nations had announced troop withdrawals totaling more then 4,800. Germany and Italy declared their missions in Afghanistan over on Wednesday and Poland’s last troops have returned home.
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