US ends 20-year Afghan war
Last American troops exit war-ravaged country as Taliban celebrate ‘end of occupation’
The United States has completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, ending America’s longest war and closing a chapter in military history likely to be remembered for colossal failures, unfulfilled promises and a frantic final exit that cost the lives of more than 180 Afghans and 13 US service members, some barely older than the war.
Hours before President Joe Biden’s Tuesday deadline for shutting down a final airlift, and thus ending the US war, American air force transport planes carried a remaining contingent of troops from Kabul airport late Monday. Thousands of troops had spent a harrowing two weeks protecting the airlift of over 123,000 Afghans, Americans and people from other nationalities seeking to escape a country once again ruled by Taliban militants.
And as the troops left, the hardline Islamist Taliban celebrated their total return to power with gunfire and diplomacy.
Taliban fighters quickly swept into the airport and fired weapons into the sky across the city in jubilation -- an astonishing return after US forces invaded in 2001 and toppled them for supporting al Qaeda.
“Congratulations to Afghanistan... this victory belongs to us all,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters hours later on the runway of the airport. polls in 2019.
L-G Sinha’s speech was almost entirely a response to what Abdullah said. Sinha recollected how he had to battle “legacy issues” and said, “Now, under the new dispensation, every penny is accounted for. No one can usurp public funds like they did earlier”, in an apparent reference to the tenure of earlier J&K governments when development Mujahid said the Taliban’s victory was a “lesson for other invaders”.
In announcing the completion of the evacuation and war effort. General Frank Mckenzie, head of US Central Command, said the last planes took off from Kabul airport at 3.29 pm. Washington time, or one minute before midnight in Kabul. He said some American citizens, likely numbering in “the very low hundreds”, were left behind, and that he believes they will still be able to leave the country.
Secretary of state Antony Blinken put the number of Americans left behind at under 200, “likely closer to 100”, and said the state department would keep working to get them out. He praised the military-led evacuation as heroic and said the US diplomatic presence would shift to Doha, Qatar.
All eyes will now turn to how the Taliban handle their first few days with sole authority over the country, with a sharp focus on whether they will allow free departure for those wanting to leave -- including some foreigners.
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution Monday, requiring the Taliban to honour a commitment to let people freely leave Afghanistan in the days ahead, and to grant access to the UN and other aid agencies.
Talks are ongoing as to who will now run Kabul airport.
The Taliban have asked Turkey to handle logistics while they maintain control of security, but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not yet accepted that offer.
Biden said in a written statement Monday that military commanders unanimously favoured ending the airlift, not extending it. He said he asked Blinken to coordinate with international partners in holding the Taliban
It is a historical day and a historical moment... We are proud of these moments, that we liberated our country from a great power
funds allegedly didn’t reach the people.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who had convened the programme, urged all democratic institutions to “work together” to “improve people’s lives. “If Panchayati Raj is strong, we can improve our governance and delivery systems and create atma-nirbhar (self-sufficient) villages,” he said.