Guwahati News Desk: American President Joe Bidden on Thursday announced that after 20 years of war, all U.S. troops are to be withdrawn from Afghanistan by 31st August.
Commenting on the issue Biden said, “We are ending the nation’s longest war.”
In the last week itself, the US forces exited Bagram Airfield, the largest American base in the country.
The turnover of Bagram to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces completed the US transfer of all the seven bases to Afghanistan.
Initially, the top military advisers were not willing to agree with the withdrawal. Ultimately, both agreed and the military began supporting the president’s decision.
Biden announced that U.S. will continue to have a diplomatic presence in the country.
Amidst the withdrawal procedures, the Taliban, on the other hand, has been steadily seizing more territory.
In the past week alone, the Taliban has taken 10 per cent of the country and are currently controlling 195 districts.
Regarding the Taliban’s expansion of territory, Biden said, “The Afghan government and leadership has to come together. They clearly have the capacity to sustain the government in place. The question is will they generate the kind of cohesion to do it? It’s not a question of whether they have the capacity — they have capacity. They have the forces. They have the equipment. The question is will they do it?”
According to sources, along with the withdrawal of troops, the U.S. is still working on airlifting over 60,000 Afghans, 18,000 interpreters and their families, out of the country to protect them from Taliban reprisals.
Biden however added, “There is a home for you in the United States if you so choose and we will stand with you as you stood with us.”
