Afghan insurgence fears as US mulls withdrawal
WASHINGTON EYES MAY DEADLINE TO BRING HOME TROOPS CONCERN OVER VIOLENCE THREAT TO KABUL GOVERNMENT
SENIOR US and Pakistani military officials spoke in Islamabad last Friday (19) about the possibility of postponing the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan, a move currently under review by US president Joe Biden’s administration.
The meeting comes with the US expected to announce in the coming days whether it will stick with a plan to withdraw its military from the country at the beginning of May, as agreed under a US-Taliban accord reached in February 2020 in Doha.
General Kenneth McKenzie, head of the US Army Central Command (Centcom), thanked Pakistan for its “contributions to the Afghan peace negotiations” and pledged to explore “new areas for collaboration.”
Pakistan’s military chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, meanwhile, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to peace efforts, noting that peace in Afghanistan was important for peace in Pakistan, according to a statement.
McKenzie has indicated that conditions have not been met for a withdrawal, which he says could create a jihadist group resurgence in the country, risking a collapse of the Afghan government. While the Taliban had pledged to reduce violence under their deal with the US, they have not done so, McKenzie said on the plane to Pakistan.
The Taliban denies being behind escalated violence, saying those responsible are other jihadist groups. “Certainly ISIS (Daesh) has launched some attacks. It pales against what the Taliban is doing,” McKenzie said, denouncing violence against Afghan forces, and “targeted assassinations in some urban areas.”
“This is clearly the Taliban,” he said. “There is no way it’s anyone else. That’s very clear.”
Last Friday, the Pakistani ambassador to the United States said Washington should consult the Taliban on any extension of the May 1 deadline for the full US troop pullout from Afghanistan and should not decide unilaterally.
Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan told an online forum sponsored by the Stimson Center that US officials should consult the Taliban before deciding whether to maintain the last 2,500 US troops in Afghanistan. “That is where the process should start,” Khan said. “To present this as a fait accompli, I think, will only create difficulty.”
Khan’s comments were significant as Pakistan, which helped facilitate the US-Taliban
negotiations in Doha that clinched the February 2020 deal, wields considerable influence with the insurgents.
The insurgents have sanctuaries in Pakistan, whose main military-run intelligence service gives them support, according to US and Afghan officials. Pakistan denies the allegation.
“If there is strong justification and reasoning to have an extension for logistical or other reasons, the parties have overcome difficulties ... before in terms of reaching common ground,” Khan said. “It’s really also a question of the credibility of the United States.”
The US military has not taken a public stand, as the decision lies with the White House. But privately, military officials have expressed concern jihadist groups will regain control as soon as the US leaves.