AFGHANISTAN. Herat. Republic US Senator Lindsey Graham said that the American forces will remain in Afghanistan and will be withdrawn only when the conditions are right on the ground.
In an interview with CBS, Graham said that the American troops will not leave Afghanistan in May, advocating the Biden approach on Afghanistan toward the US-Taliban agreement.
“I’m very pleased with what the Biden administration is proposing for Afghanistan. We’re going to keep troops there on a conditions-based approach. I think we’re not going to leave in May. We’re going to leave when the conditions are right, ” Graham said.
Taliban cheating the US
On Sunday night, Graham accused the Taliban of cheating and not complying with their February peace agreement signed between the United States and Taliban in Doha, Qatar.
Talking about this, he said, “I like what Secretary Blinken and the Biden administration is doing. They’re reevaluating our presence in Afghanistan to keep the footprint low, but not to walk away and lose all the gains we’ve achieved.”
Warning of Al-Qaeda return and civil war
Graham warned that if the US forces left Afghanistan without a conditions-based withdrawal, Daesh and Al-Qaeda would come roaring back to the country.
The senator added that due to this the Afghan women would suffer immensely and gains of the past 20 years could be frittered away as a result of an early US troop withdrawal.
Last week, The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg underlined that NATO has seen attacks against individuals, journalists, and others, and of course the high level of violence is something which is of great concern.
“So, we will make the assessment together, we will make the decision together, and this will be one of the most important topics that will be discussed when we have a NATO Defense Ministerial meeting later this month and decisions will be made,” Stoltenberg said.
Bipartisan Panel also urged the US to slow its troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan. A study group assigned by US Congress calls on the Biden administration to slow the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.
The report finds that removing international forces by the May 1 deadline set in the US-Taliban peace agreement could lead to a civil war in Afghanistan.
In a tweet, Afghanistan Vice-President, Amrullah Saleh said, “In a brazen act of non-compliance & defiance to the Doha agreement, some 85% of percent of the 5500 released Talibs have re-assumed roles in unleashing violence & campaign of the massacre of civilians. Our noble gesture & sincerity wasn’t reciprocated & seen as weakness. NEVER AGAIN”
Weeks after the stall of the second round of Afghan peace talks, Taliban leaders are making regional visits, while the Afghan delegation negotiators are in Doha waiting for the Taliban.
Afghan interior minister said on Monday, “We remind you, that it’s been nearly a month since the second round of Afghan peace talks began in Qatar, but there were only one or two meetings between the two sides which were mostly show-off.” The minister also added that the Taliban distanced the talks with their regional trips in Tehran, Moscow, and Turkmenistan.
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