In April, the NATO allies took the decision to start withdrawing their forces from Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, that has been in place since 2015.
Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Wednesday that there was a possibility of civil war erupting in Afghanistan following NATO’s withdrawal.
According to the defence minister, the alliance had failed to achieve “significant results in stabilisation” in the country despite nearly 20 years of involvement. Shoigu added that urgent action was needed to change this situation.
“Developments in Afghanistan require the special attention of both neighbouring countries and international organisations,” he warned.
America’s Longest War
The United States arrived in Afghanistan in 2001 following the 11 September terrorist attacks, kicking off what effectively became the longest military engagement in the country’s history. In 2015, NATO launched Resolute Support Mission in the country in a follow-up to a previous mission, the International Security Assistance Force mission, completed in December 2014.
In February 2020, the Trump administration signed a deal with the Taliban* greenlighting the withdrawal of all American and NATO troops from the country in exchange for a pledge from the movement not to allow al-Qaeda* terrorists to operate in areas under the group’s control. The original plan was that the US would completely withdraw its forces by 1 May 2021. New US President Joe Biden extended this deadline to 11 September 2021.
In this file photo taken on October 27, 2014, US Marines board a C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft headed to Afghanistan’s Kandahar as British and US forces withdraw from the Camp Bastion-Leatherneck complex at Lashkar Gah in Helmand province
In late April, NATO announced that it had started withdrawing forces from Afghanistan following a call from President Biden to recall troops taking part in the 9,600-strong mission. NATO officials told media at that time that the withdrawal process will be an “orderly, coordinated and deliberate process”, despite fears that this would pave a way for Taliban forces gaining power in the region.
Some NATO members, including the UK, expressed dissatisfaction with Biden’s rush to withdraw troops from the country based on a calendar date, rather than when all the necessary conditions are met and critical infrastructure in the country secured.
Taliban Makes New Advances
On Tuesday, the Taliban managed to capture Afghanistan’s main border crossing with Tajikistan, its most significant gain since the US began its final stage of the withdrawal.
Washington called on warring parties to stop the violence and “engage in serious negotiations that determine a political roadmap” for the country’s future.
The 11 September withdrawal date remains unchanged so far, but the Pentagon hinted this week that there is a chance that the pull out process may be slowed down somewhat following an escalation of movement from the Taliban since the US started recalling its troops from the country.
This comes just several days before Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani scheduled visit to the White House.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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