Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan: “It’s time to end the longest war”

The president of the United States, Joe Biden on Wednesday announced the decision to withdraw the remaining troops in Afghanistan – around 3,500 – for September 11, a date that will mark the twentieth anniversary of the attacks against the Twin Towers.

“We went to Afghanistan for a horrific attack that happened 20 years ago. That doesn’t explain why we should stay there in 2021“Said the president in a speech transmitted from the” Treaty Room “of the White House, where then President George W. Bush announced the start of the military offensive.

“I am the fourth president to govern with an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans and two Democrats. I won’t pass this responsibility to a fifth. I concluded that it was time for the American troops to return home, we look forward to continuing this cycle hoping to create the ideal conditions for the withdrawal, ”he added.

The first phase of the plan will begin on May 1. The president indicated that the exit “will not be hasty” but will be done in a “responsible, deliberate and safe manner, in absolute coordination with our allies”. “I think our presence in Afghanistan should be focused on why we went there in the first place: to ensure that Afghanistan is not used as a base to attack our homeland. We achieve this goal», He expressed.

In this sense, he indicated that even if the country will not continue to have a military presence in the country, it will continue “its diplomatic and humanitarian work, and will continue to support the Afghan government”. “We will also continue to provide assistance to your armed and security forces. Together with our allies, we have trained and equipped a local force of over 300,000 people. They will continue to fight for the Afghans and support the peace negotiations, just like us.“, He said.

Shortly after Biden’s announcement, NATO countries confirmed in their own statement to start the withdrawal of their own troops – around 7,000 – on the same date. And, according to the newspaper TimeThe UK will also withdraw its some 750 troops.

Also on Wednesday, but ahead of the announcement, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Wednesday that national forces are “fully capable” of defending the country, after discussing the decision with his American counterpart.

Afghanistan fully respects the US decision, added the president. “We will work together to ensure a peaceful transition,” he promised after his phone conversation with Biden. However, the government in Kabul, with international support, weakly controls parts of the country, while the Taliban is gaining strength.

More and more voices are predicting that the insurgents will attempt to seize all power as soon as the military cover of Washington wears off.

Beyond that, in another passage of his speech, Biden referred to the Taliban and assured that his administration would hold them “accountable” for their role in the conflict. And he urged Pakistan – where members of this group have historically taken refuge in the clashes – to Russia, China, India and Turkey to support the government in Kabul..

Without citing Iran, which shares a porous border with Afghanistan, he said countries in the region “have a significant stake” in Kabul’s future stability. Pakistan was historically a prop to the Taliban, who ruled between 1996 and 2001, and were overthrown by the American invasion in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks..

As part of a deal brokered by former Republican President Donald Trump, the Taliban pledged not to harbor Al Qaeda or any extremist groups, which was the main reason for the 2001 invasion.

Conference in Turkey

Biden’s decision coincides with Turkey’s announcement to host a US-backed peace conference from April 24 to May 4 that will bring together the Afghan government, the Taliban and international partners.

But Mohammad Naeem, a spokesperson for the Taliban office in Qatar, said insurgents would not attend any conference “until all foreign forces have completely withdrawn.”

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