US President Joe Biden has described the “chaos” in the wake of the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan as inevitable. In an interview with US television broadcaster ABC that was partially broadcast on Wednesday, Biden replied “no” when asked whether the trigger could have been handled differently. He does not see how this could have happened “without the following chaos”. The President also did not rule out that troops to evacuate US citizens could remain in Afghanistan beyond August 31.
In the midst of the US troop withdrawal, the Taliban had regained power in Afghanistan at breathtaking speed. On Sunday, the Islamists marched into the capital Kabul with practically no resistance. Western states are now feverishly trying to evacuate their citizens and Afghan local staff.
Biden had come under massive criticism given the return of the Taliban to power. In the ABC interview, he defended the government’s troop withdrawal policy. “The idea that there is somehow a way to get out of there without the following chaos – I don’t know how to do that,” he said.
In view of the rapid advance of the radical Islamic Taliban, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani “got on a plane and flown away,” said Biden. The US-trained Afghan armed forces “collapsed”, the soldiers left their equipment and “ran away”.
Taliban are blocking the way to the airport for Afghans
In the ABC interview, Biden admitted that the US had “difficulties” in getting Afghan aid workers to safety. The Taliban would partially “cooperate” and allow US citizens and embassy personnel to leave the country; But things look different with Afghan local workers.
The Taliban control the entrances to the Kabul airport, which is secured by US soldiers. While the Islamists let western citizens through, they block the way for many Afghans. Retaliatory actions by the Taliban are feared, even if they deny this and are emphatically conciliatory.
Vice Foreign Minister Wendy Sherman warned on Wednesday that the Taliban must allow all Afghans who want to leave the country safe passage “without harassment”. In a confidential situation report by the Federal Ministry of Defense for the Bundestag, which AFP has received, it is said that due to the control of the Taliban, “only people with foreign or dual citizenship” currently have access to the airport.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that the US would insist on free passage for Afghans in talks with the Taliban. The defense minister has repeatedly said that the aim is to avoid conflict.
Troop withdrawal could take longer
In the ABC interview, on multiple inquiries, Biden did not completely rule out the possibility that the full troop withdrawal planned by August 31 could be delayed somewhat if not all US citizens have been brought to safety by then. “If there are still US citizens there, we’ll stay to get them all out.” The aim, however, is to complete the troop withdrawal by the end of August, stressed the president. It is currently estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 US citizens are still in Afghanistan.
Secretary of Defense Austin pledged to fly as many local Afghan workers out of Kabul as possible. “We will evacuate everyone we can physically evacuate,” he said. The minister also made it clear that the clock is ticking: the evacuation operation should continue “until the time runs out or our capabilities run out,” said the defense minister. (AFP)
I am a technology author with 8 years of experience in journalism. My writing covers the latest technology advancements and trends, drawing on my expertise in news journalism and social media platforms. I have contributed to major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters.
