U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan is now formally underway, according to defense officials as cited by CNN, after President Joe Biden pledged all troops would be out by September 11.
Fewer than 100 troops, along with military equipment, have been moved largely by aircraft to execute President Joe Biden’s order to begin the withdrawal process no later than May 1, according to the report.
In addition, contractors and U.S. government workers are also departing the country, the officials said. The Pentagon has said it is concerned about personnel coming under attack from the Taliban as they depart so it is not clear if it will disclose all the details of the departure process, which is due to be completed by September 11.
The Pentagon has assembled a significant protection force to send the Taliban a strong message that it is ready to respond if they attack U.S. forces on their way out. Approximately another 650 ground forces, mainly Army Rangers, headed into Afghanistan in the coming days as a covering force to protect the withdrawal, especially from remote areas.
The U.S. is also sending in additional Army artillery and rocket systems for force protection. The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower will remain in the North Arabian Sea to conduct airstrikes against the Taliban if needed. And the Air Force has also positioned several B-52 bombers in the Gulf region.
On Sunday, Gen. Austin Scott Miller, commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan and NATO’s Resolute Support Mission, said some troops were being moved within the country.
Meanwhile, an alliance official told AFP that NATO has started the withdrawal of its troops from the south-Asian country.
“NATO Allies decided in mid-April to start the withdrawal of Resolute Support Mission forces by May 1 and this withdrawal has begun. This will be an orderly, coordinated, and deliberate process,” a NATO official told AFP.
The NATO official said the safety of the alliance’s troops “will be a top priority every step of the way, and we are taking all necessary measures to keep our personnel from harm”.
“Any Taliban attacks during the withdrawal will be met with a forceful response. We plan to have our withdrawal completed within a few months,” the official said, refusing to give any further details on the timeline.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.S. withdrawal would be completed by September 11 which coincides with the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America that sparked its military involvement in Afghanistan.
Following President Biden’s decision, NATO alliance agreed to warp up its mission in the country.
(Sources: CNN and AFP)
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