KABUL (SW) – As the US completes nearly a quarter of its departure from Afghanistan, analysts believe Washington would stay engaged here.
Political and security affairs analyst Mahmoud Haidari told Salam Watandar the Americans will never abandon Afghanistan completely. He said the US would also have bases in Pakistan and would not withdraw all troops to maintain a strong intelligence presence in Afghanistan. He believed the fighting may escalate in Afghanistan’s northern provinces.
“New projects are being launched against Russia and China. Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom are working together. They are using the United Kingdom to persuade Pakistan to invite China and Russia”, he said.
- US withdrawal could involve a small surge of troops
- Gen. Milley warns Afghanistan could face ‘bad possible outcomes’ of US withdrawal
Hekmatullah Shahbaz, another political analyst, said that if the United States and its allies wanted to end the war in Afghanistan and rid the world of the threat of terrorism, they should increase financial, technical and training assistance to the Afghan army and keep pressure on the Taliban and other terrorist groups and their supporters.
This comes as the US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has urged President Joe Biden to “reconsider” the decision to withdraw, as his diplomatic and military teams “confront him with the risks and consequences.”
“When we’re gone, there is every reason to believe al-Qaida will regroup in its historic safe haven. Giving up the high ground while the enemy is still on the battlefield isn’t a strategic move,” said McConnell.
McConnell noted Afghanistan’s neighbors Iran, Pakistan, and Russian-influenced Central Asian nations “aren’t exactly likely to let us base significant counterterrorism units in their countries.”
According to the VOA, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday the “enemy at play” in Afghanistan is terror groups with dwindling power since the U.S. entered Afghanistan. “The terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan has been diminished—not extinguished by any means—but diminished,” he said.
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