According to reports, the Taliban have said the United States has lost the battle in Afghanistan, and thus, they were the winner of this war.
It follows U.S. President Joe Biden’s announcement on Wednesday that he said U.S. troop withdrawal will begin on May 1, ending America’s longest war, and finishing it by September 11.
Speaking at White House on Afghan troop withdrawal plans, President Biden said in his speech the United States has lost nearly 2,500 of its service members in Afghanistan war and it was time to come home.
The United States will begin final withdrawal on May 1 of this yea, he said. “We’ll not conduct a hasty rush to the exit.” “We’ll do it responsibly, deliberately and safely and we will do it in full coordination with our allies and partners who now have more forces in Afghanistan than we do.”
“The Taliban should know that if they attack us as we draw down, we will defend ourselves and our partners with all the tools at our disposal.”
Following the U.S.’ decision to pull its all troops out of Afghanistan by September, starting from May 1, NATO said allies also agreed to start withdrawal of troops on May 1.
Afghan government, nevertheless, said it respects the United States’ decisions that it would withdraw all forces by September.
David Petraeus, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A) sharply criticized President Biden’s decision to remove U.S. troops there, saying he was worried that the “endless war” will only get worsen.
“I’m really afraid that we’re going to look back two years from now and regret the decision,” said Petraeus, former commanding general of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan and former CIA director.
Afghan political and military analysts believe Afghan forces, if financially supported, can stand alone in the battle.
Zahir Azimi, Kabul-based military expert, spoke wit TKG, saying following past two decades, Afghan forces have now needed capabilities, and if financially supported, they can win the battles.
Abdul Bari Arez, a political analyst, however, said foreign forces’ withdrawal from Afghanistan is certain, but the international community will be responsible for the consequences.
Government of Afghanistan and the Afghan people should always be ready for troop pullout, he highlighted.
Under a peace deal Biden’s predecessor, former President Donald Trump, signed with the Taliban on late February last year, Washington and foreign allies are committed to leave Afghanistan by May 1. President Biden has now pushed back that date four months from the May deadline.
Taliban React
The Taliban, reacting to Biden’s decision on troop withdrawal, called for an “immediate” withdrawal of all foreign troops, blaming Washington for violating the February troop withdrawal agreement.
Posing an implicit threat, the group warned it would “take every necessary countermeasure, hence the American side will be held responsible for all future consequences.”
The fate of the peace talks also remained uncertain, with the Taliban saying they would not participate in any conference, including that in Turkey, sponsored by the U.S., until all foreign troops leave the country.
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