Afghan President Begins U.S. Visit Amid Growing Concerns Over Post-Withdrawal Security

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Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
June 24, 2021

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani begins a visit to Washington even as Taliban militants advance steadily across the country, prompting fears that government forces will be swiftly overrun once the U.S.-led international forces complete their withdrawal by September 11 at the latest.

U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, on June 25 as part of a visit that the White House said would “highlight the enduring partnership between the United States and Afghanistan as the military drawdown continues.”

The Taliban’s stark advances have prompted the U.S. intelligence community to revise its outlook for how long the Western-backed government in Kabul can hold out after the departure of foreign forces, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Citing officials with knowledge of the new assessment, the newspaper reported on June 23 that U.S. intelligence agencies concluded last week that the Afghan government could collapse as soon as six months after the pullout is completed.

The WSJ noted that previous analyses said that Afghanistan’s government could stand for as long as two years after the troops leave.

The Taliban has taken control of dozens of districts from government forces in recent weeks as U.S.-led international forces withdraw from Afghanistan ahead of a self-imposed September 11 deadline.

Earlier this week, the insurgents seized Afghanistan’s main border crossing with Tajikistan, and pressed an offensive on the northern cities of Kunduz and Mazar-e Sharif.

The U.S. military says it has already withdrawn more than half of its 3,500 troops from the region and its equipment.

According to the WSJ, White House officials are now encouraging the military to slow the pace of the troop pullout.

Earlier this week, State Department spokesman John Kirby said the Pentagon could slow down its withdrawal in light of recent battlefield victories by the Taliban.

But he reiterated the department’s plans to withdraw all troops other than the ones left to “protect the diplomatic presence” by the September deadline.

Meanwhile, Turkish and U.S. military officials met in Ankara on June 24 to discuss plans for Turkish troops to continue securing the Kabul airport — the main gateway into Afghanistan — after the withdrawal of the international forces.

Turkey, NATO’s only majority-Muslim member, has offered to protect and run the Hamid Karzai International Airport after the alliance pulls out of the country. However, Turkey is seeking U.S. and other allies’ support for the mission.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week after a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of a NATO summit that Turkey was looking for “diplomatic, logistic, and financial assistance” from the United States to protect and operate the airport.

Ankara has around 500 noncombat troops in Afghanistan.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said a technical delegation from the United States had arrived for talks.

“We will continue to take on the responsibility of operating the Hamid Karzai International Airport, which we have been doing for the past six years, if the necessary conditions are met,” Akar said June 24.

Copyright (c) 2021. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.

US Accelerates Relocation Plans for Thousands of Afghans Who Helped US Forces

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VOA News
June 24, 2021

The United States is accelerating plans to relocate tens of thousands of Afghans who helped American forces during the nearly 20-year war in Afghanistan.

A senior administration official told reporters Thursday that plans have accelerated in recent days to move Afghan interpreters and others who assisted U.S. forces, and their families, as their applications are organized.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the undisclosed plans, said the White House started briefing lawmakers Wednesday on the outlines.

“We are planning for all contingencies so that we are prepared for all scenarios,” the official said. “Should it become necessary, we will consider additional relocation or evacuation options.”

The White House decision to hasten plans to relocate Afghans to other countries or U.S. territories comes as U.S. President Joe Biden meets in Washington Friday with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation.

In April, Biden ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the al-Qaida attacks on the U.S., despite the growing threat by Taliban rebels to seize power.

Since May, Taliban rebels have escalated attacks and seized dozens of districts in the Afghan countryside, sparking concerns the insurgents could gain control of Kabul as it did in 1996.

This report includes information from The Associated Press and AFP

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Customs Revenue Lost as Taliban-Held Kunduz Dry Port is Closed

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Tolo News: With the fall of Sher Khan Bandar port in Kunduz province to the Taliban, the government loses an average of more than 2.5 million Afghanis (over $ 32,000) a day in income from customs offices, according to government information. The Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Investment said that the capture of Sher Khan Bandar’s port and customs office by the Taliban has halted operations at the port. The port borders Tajikistan. Click here to read more (external link).

Thousands of children losing access to education as schools caught in crossfire

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Ariana: Save the Children has called for all parties in the escalating conflict in Afghanistan to abide by international humanitarian law and ensure children and schools do not become collateral damage. In a statement issued by the organization, Save the Children stated that last week in Kandahar, it found about 25 schools damaged in one district alone, potentially preventing almost 28,000 students from returning to their classrooms when they reopen. Click here to read more (external link).

Covid outbreak at US Embassy in Kabul grows to 159 cases

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Ariana: The COVID-19 outbreak at the US Embassy in Kabul has grown to 159 cases, according to a diplomatic cable sent Tuesday, CNN reported. This comes amid a devastating third wave of the deadly disease in Afghanistan. CNN reported that a source familiar with the cable said it noted that several people at the diplomatic mission are on oxygen or have been medically evacuated from the post, which was put under immediate lockdown last week to try to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Click here to read more (external link).

‘Foreign forces can’t come and go as they wish:’ China, Russia alarmed about Afghanistan

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Press TV
June 23, 2021

China and Russia have warned that Afghanistan is facing a security crisis as the United States and other NATO forces are leaving the country without having stabilized the situation there despite two decades of war and occupation.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu cautioned on Wednesday about the possibility of a civil war resuming in Afghanistan after the pullout of NATO forces, saying that the US-led military alliance had failed to achieve “significant results in stabilization” despite their 20-year presence in the country.

“After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it is highly probable that a civil war may resume, with all its negative consequences: further deterioration in the life of the population, mass migration, and the spreading of extremism to neighboring states,” Shoigu said, according to Sputnik News.

The top military official further called for “urgent action” to change the evolving Afghan situation, saying, “Developments in Afghanistan require the special attention of both neighboring countries and international organizations.”

The development came a day after Afghan officials announced that Taliban militants had taken over control of the country’s main border crossing with neighboring Tajikistan, amid continuing heavy clashes between government forces and the militants in northern provinces.

Kunduz provincial council member Khaliddin Hakmi said on Tuesday that the entire town of Shir Khan, located in the far north of Afghanistan and about 50 kilometers from Kunduz City, had been captured by the militants.

Separately, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Zhang Jun emphasized on Tuesday that the situation in Afghanistan was at a critical juncture as the intra-Afghan negotiations have seen major setbacks since the US announcement of its troop withdrawal in April.

“China is deeply concerned about this. We need to think hard about what caused the current situation in Afghanistan, and what is the way forward for Afghanistan to achieve durable stability and security in the next stage,” Zhang said, Xinhua reported on Wednesday.

“The security situation is deteriorating, and the economic and humanitarian situation has become increasingly precarious,” he added.
Zhang said no external forces should be allowed to pursue narrow self-interests in Afghanistan and turn the country into an arena of a geopolitical game.

“Foreign troops cannot come and go as they wish. China urges foreign forces to withdraw in a responsible and orderly manner, fully consult with the Afghan government on post-withdrawal arrangement, and enhance transparency with countries in the region to prevent the security situation from worsening, or even getting out of control,” the Chinese diplomat said.

He said Beijing would do its utmost to continue to be a supporter, mediator, and facilitator of the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan to help the country achieve peace, stability, development, and prosperity at an early date.

US merely calls for Afghan ‘political roadmap’

Washington, meanwhile, reacted dismissively to the surging violence in Afghanistan by urging the warring parties to stop the bloodshed and “engage in serious negotiations that determine a political roadmap” for the country’s future.

“We continue to call for an end to the ongoing violence that has been driven largely by the Taliban,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Tuesday.

Afghan government forces have retaken some of the territories captured by the Taliban in the northern parts of the war-torn country.

Meanwhile, top Afghan leaders are set to travel to Washington for talks with US officials.

Top Afghan leaders due in Washington for talks

The White House issued a statement on Sunday announcing that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and top negotiator Abdullah Abdullah would visit Washington on Friday for talks with US officials.

“President Biden looks forward to welcoming Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, to the White House on June 25, 2021,” said the statement, without elaborating on the agenda of the visit.

The statement further claimed that the US would remain “deeply engaged” with the government of Afghanistan to ensure the country never again becomes a “safe haven for terrorist groups who pose a threat to the US homeland.”

‘Where are they leaving us? In total disgrace and disaster:’ Karzai

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai emphasized in an interview on Sunday that the US came to Afghanistan to fight extremism and bring stability but was leaving nearly 20 years later now having failed at both.

“The international community came here 20 years ago with this clear objective of fighting extremism and bringing stability… but extremism is at the highest point today. So, they have failed,” he said during an interview with AP.

“We recognize as Afghans all our failures, but what about the bigger forces and powers who came here for exactly that purpose? Where are they leaving us now?” he asked, and answered, “In total disgrace and disaster.”

“We will be better off without their military presence,” Karzai further emphasized. “I think we should defend our own country and look after our own lives… Their presence (has given us) what we have now… We don’t want to continue with this misery and indignity that we are facing. It is better for Afghanistan that they leave.”

The US military led a massive invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 in what it proclaimed was a “war on terror” and meant to eradicate the Taliban. Twenty years on, however, terrorism continues to be the mainstay in the country. Washington engaged in “peace” talks with the Taliban militants that excluded the elected Afghan government.

Related

Public Uprising Expands as Taliban Attacks Continue

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Tolo News: Public uprisings against the Taliban are expanding in various regions of Afghanistan as the Taliban continues to mount attacks against government forces.  In northern Jawzjan province, there are reports that women have taken up arms to fight the Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).

Afghan children detained for insurgent links should be released: HRW

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1TV: Afghanistan’s government should release children detained for alleged association with armed insurgent groups, Human Rights Watch has said. Hundreds of children are currently detained for alleged involvement with the Taliban, the extremist armed group Islamic State-Khorasan Province (also known as IS-KP), or other armed groups, and are often tortured in facilities run by government security forces, HRW said. Click here to read more (external link).