KABUL (CU)_US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Kabul, just a day after President Joe Biden announced plans to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan. Delivering a White House address on Wednesday (14 April), the US President said it “makes little sense” to keep thousands of troops grounded in just one country at a cost of billions of dollars, nearly two decades after al Qaeda’s attacks on the United States.
Therefore, he revealed that military forces will be withdrawn from the war-torn South Asian country by 11 September this year. Accordingly, Blinked arrived in Kabul on Thursday, after attending NATO talks in Brussels, to show support to the Afghan government and the country’s citizens.
The Secretary of State met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, whose government is carrying on a fierce battle against Taliban insurgents, despite the lack of certainty in the US-backed peace process. Nevertheless, Blinken reiterated Washington’s pledge to provide assistance to the Afghan government, adding that the Biden administration would do everything it can to secure a peace agreement between Kabul and the insurgents.
“The reason I’m here, so quickly after the president’s speech last night, is to demonstrate literally, by our presence, that we have an enduring an ongoing commitment to Afghanistan,” he said.
The withdrawal of foreign troops from war-torn Afghanistan has raised concerns over the possibility of a civil war being erupted, providing terrorist organisations, such as Al-Qaeda, with the opportunity of planning new attacks on the US and other targets. Moreover, there is skepticism over the reinstatement of Islamist rule by the Taliban, meaning the hard-won gains in independent media, women’s rights, education and other areas may be overturned by the insurgents.
Nevertheless, Blinken assured the Afghan government that Washington will continue to provide humanitarian support to ensure the rights of women and girls, and other democratic values are protected.
