President Biden Decides To Withdraw US Forces from Afghanistan

 

US officials said that President Biden decided to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan in September this year. There are currently approximately 2,500 U.S. troops in the country, serving with 7,000 other foreign troops as part of the NATO alliance. In coordination with the United States, most or all of the NATO alliance will soon withdraw.

An American official said that they have entered with us and are now preparing to leave together. The withdrawal of US forces will begin by May 1, the deadline for withdrawal agreed by Trump last year and will be completed by September.

A senior official in the administration said they went to Afghanistan to bring justice to those who attacked them on 11 September and to hinder terrorists who wanted to use Afghanistan as a haven for them to start their attacks.

He also said that they believe they achieved their goal a few years ago and now they see that the threat is at a level that can be addressed now without a military footprint in the country and without being at war with the Taliban.

The only military presence that would remain after 11 September would be for the purpose of providing security to the U.S. embassy, usually by the Marine Corps. Biden administration mentioned that he would negotiate with the Afghan government about the security arrangements.

 

Peace Talks between Kabul and Taliban Fails

Around 800,000 US soldiers and other military personnel have served at least once in Afghanistan since the 2001 US invasion when more than 2,000 people were killed and nearly 20,000 wounded.

Nearly 50,000 Afghan civilians have said in the conflict since 2001, and although the death toll has declined last year, there has been an increase in targeted killings and the death toll of women has risen in the past year.

According to information from the United Nations, 65 journalists and human rights defenders were killed in January 2018 as well as in 2021.

Peace talks began between Kabul and the Taliban but unfortunately suffered a setback this year as the rebels would not attend a U.S.-backed peace summit in Turkey.

A Taliban spokesman wrote on Twitter that the Taliban would not participate in any such conference until foreign troops completely withdrew from their homeland.

Fawzia Koofi, an Afghan women's rights activist and politician, said on Twitter that the war will not end with war and that the next months should be used to reach peace. She also said that the Taliban got what they wanted: the United States got out of Afghanistan, and now all they want is peace and a life of dignity.

 

The Withdrawal from Afghanistan Was Depending On the Conditions

The US military doctrine was that a withdrawal from Afghanistan would depend on the conditions and security situation posed by the Taliban on the democratic gains of the last 20 years.

A U.S. official said in a press statement that the President saw the circumstance-based approach as describing him as staying in Afghanistan forever, and so Biden pledged during his campaign to continue withdrawing from Afghanistan.

In a CBS News interview facing the nation, Biden was asked if Bay would feel responsible if Afghan human rights, especially women, were harmed by the withdrawal.

Biden replied that his responsibility was to protect America's self-interest and not to endanger its women and men by trying to solve every problem in the world by force.

The administration says it will maintain enough troops in the area to respond if terrorist groups attack or even set up camps inside Afghanistan. At the same time, despite the widespread terrorist threat, it is no longer justified or even logical to maintain a permanent force in the country.

U.S. officials mentioned that there would be a response to any Taliban attacks on the U.S. and allied forces at the time of the withdrawal. Despite continuous attempts at peace between the Afghan Government and the Taliban, attacks on Afghan forces and civilians have continued.

Last Tuesday, a suicide car bombing in Farah, western Afghanistan, killed a child and at least two civilians. The car exploded on the first day of Ramadan, killing at least 10 Afghan security forces in the north of the country. It was a really bad accident.

 

The Withdrawal from Afghanistan Has Drawn Criticism from Leaders

The announcement of the withdrawal from Afghanistan has drawn criticism from leaders of the Republicans and a few Democrats. Senate Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell said foreign terrorists will not leave the US alone because we are tired of fighting with them.

He also added that Biden must explain to the American people why he believes abandoning the area and retreating in the face of the Taliban will dissolve America's security.

Jane Shaheen, a Democratic senator from New Hampshire, said on Twitter that the withdrawal undermined America's commitment to the Afghan people, especially women.

She also urged Biden to make an effort to protect and support their partners in establishing an inclusive transitional government. That will achieve peace then.

 

Written by - Aya Salah Zahran

Edited by - Adrija Saha