Washington: US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he aims to have all US troops from Afghanistan on August 31, ending the massive two-week flight from the country at risk of leaving the potential of refugees behind.
Former President Donald Trump established an agreement with Taliban militants in February 2020 that all US troops would withdraw from Afghanistan on May 1 this year.
Biden ordered reviews when he came to the office in January.
On April 14, he announced a delay in the four-month Trump deadline, told us and NATO forces “would come out of Afghanistan before we marked the 20th anniversary of a vile attack on September 11.” The focus is to evacuate 2,500 remaining US troops, several thousand NATO soldiers, and around 16,000 civil contractors who remain in the country.
The critics said the US withdrawal and warning conjunctions with a 20-year anniversary of the 9/11 attack may not look good.
In early July, Biden set the last day earlier and more appropriate.
“Our military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on August 31,” he said.
Washington also wanted to give the Afghan government more time to regulate his struggle against the Taliban, including giving up the base and equipment that was previously controlled by the US to Afghan forces.
Washington and NATO partners hope that the Afghan forces will be able to slow down, if not stop, the Taliban campaign against them.
US intelligence said that government forces must survive at least six months after US departure.
Delay, the Foreign Ministry believes that it is also quite time for the departure of US citizens and tens of thousands of Afghans and their families who work for US forces and promised “special immigrant visas” (SIV) to live back in the United States.
On the contrary, Afghan forces failed to fight and, in the Taliban fast fire campaign confiscated a provincial seat after another in July and August, and finally lined up to Kabul on August 15.
Suddenly it was short.
The amazing speed of the victory made a panic offer with tens of thousands of Afghans and foreigners, including embassy personnel, to escape as soon as possible.
On August 14, the US military deployed thousands of troops to control Hamid Karzai International Airport Kabul for Masif Airlift.
On Tuesday the total EVUee of US countries and other countries exceeded 71,000 since August 14, with more than 21,000 flown in the past 24 hours.
But thousands remain, inside the airport and outside, is hampered by slow processing and increasing difficulties in reaching the airport because of the Taliban Afghan blockade trying to leave.
Pentagon, who manages all Operation Airport Kabul, said it actually had to increase the evacuation a few days before August 31, to remove the 6,000 plus troops themselves on the ground, hundreds of US officials, 600 Afghan security forces who maintained the airport and a large number of equipment.
British, French and German officials signaled they might not be able to complete all the evacuations planned on August 31 and want the US aside to be September.
In Washington worried that the deadline was not enough time to remove all the remaining US citizens – the amount remained unclear – and Afghan refugees.
At the leaders Tuesday in developed countries G7 held a video summit to discuss staying outside August 31.
But as they did, a Taliban official stated that they would not approve any extension.
A few hours later Biden announced that he clung to the target of the end of August and his country “at the speed” to complete the US mission on that date.
But the White House was a little ambiguous, stating that out on August 31 depends on the Taliban that allows Evacuees access to the airport, including Afghanistan which meets SIV requirements.
Leaving the door open to surpass August 31, Biden has asked “for a contingency plan to adjust the timeline if it becomes necessary,” said White House spokesman Jen PSAKI.
Why is August 31 for US withdrawal from Afghanistan?
