Politics
US prepares for Taliban attacks as troop withdrawal from Afghanistan begins amid spate of deadly bombings
THE US is preparing for potential Taliban attacks as the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan begins amid a state of deadly bombings.
The commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan, US Army General Scott Miller, announced that withdrawal of foreign forces had begun on Sunday.
The withdrawl of US troops from Afghanistan began Sunday[/caption]
President Joe Biden said all troops will have left the country by September[/caption]
Military bases and equipment are also being handed back over to Afghan forces.
Miller said he was acting on the orders of President Joe Biden.
“I now have a set of orders,” Miller said during a press conference in the US military’s headquarters in Kabul on Sunday.
“We will conduct an orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan and that means transitioning bases and equipment to the Afghan security forces.”
US Army General Scott Miller is overseeing the withdrawal[/caption]
Biden had promised to end America’s longest war after stating that it no longer aligned with American priorities.
The president pushed back the date by which all troops would have withdrawn from Afghanistan to September 11, the 20th anniversary of the terror attack that sparked the war.
Former president Donald Trump had previously aimed for this May.
There are currently around 2,500 US troops still operating in the country.
Other US allies have another 7,000 troops in Afghanistan under the auspices of NATO.
They are also leaving on the same timeline as the US forces.
Afghan forces demostrate in April. All military bases will be handed over to their troops[/caption]
The current decision to move troops has received backlash as Taliban attacks mount in the region.
Over the last 11 days, the Taliban conducted 62 bomb blasts and six suicide bombings, the Ministry of Interior announced.
The bombings killed 63 civilians and wounded 180 more, according to TOLO News, an Afghanistan-based news agency.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said it was a “grave mistake” to withdraw troops before the Taliban are fully defeated, Fox News reports.
“Leaders in both parties, including me, offered criticism when the prior administration floated the concept of a reckless withdrawal from Syria and Afghanistan,” McConnell said, noting Trump’s previous early deadline.
GEORGE BUSH URGES CAUTION
Former president George Bush has also urged caution.
He said that he hoped the withdrawal will not create opportunities for the Taliban that the US will regret, according to Fox.
The Afghan war began during Bush’s administration in the wake of the 9/11 terror attack.
“My first reaction was, wow, these girls are going to have real trouble with the Taliban,” Bush said.
“A lot of gains have been made, and so I’m deeply concerned about the plight of women and girls in that country.
“I think the administration hopes that the girls are going be OK through diplomacy,” he added.
“We’ll find out. All I know is the Taliban, when they had the run of the place, they were brutal.”
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. troops during an unannounced visit to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, in 2018[/caption]
Biden, however, has insisted that the time is right, saying he has consulted with experts, Congress, and allies on the withdrawal.
“I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats,” Biden said.
“I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth.”
Despite Biden’s insistence, the US is positioning more firepower in the Middle East and Asia as the troops are withdrawn, according to Voice of America.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Friday that the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier will remain in the region for a “period of time.”
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Two U.S. Air Force B-52s are already in place and long-range bombers are being sent to the region.
“We want to make this a safe, orderly, and deliberate drawdown,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said.
“That means giving the commander on the ground … options to make sure that our forces and our troops and those of our allies are protected as they move out.”
