Peace talks expected to be held in Istanbul later this month between the Taliban and the Afghan government in Kabul have been postponed until after Ramadan. However, the militant group has also said it will refuse to meet for further negotiations for as long as US troops remain in Afghanistan after the agreed upon withdrawal deadline of May 1.
“As part of our commitment to invest in and support the Afghan people, we are working with Congress to provide nearly $300 million in additional civilian assistance for Afghanistan in 2021 from both the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.
However, that amount is significantly less than the roughly $800 million per year in civilian aid the US has supplied in the past. In addition to civilian aid, the US also pays the salaries of the Afghan Armed Forces and provides Kabul’s military with funding to purchase more American equipment. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said last week Washington will continue to do so, although he did not say for how long.
The US presently has about 3,500 troops in the war-hit country, plus perhaps as many as 18,000 private security contractor mercenaries, according to US military outlet Stars and Stripes. In addition, NATO and US partner nations have roughly another 7,000 troops, although some have already begun to leave. The Taliban, which was evicted from power in the 2001 invasion but has survived as a potent fighting force in the countryside, has said US and allied troops are legitimate targets for attack after the May 1 deadline.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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