American President Joe Biden announced in mid-April, that all troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan by 11 September 2021. The decision according to him was fairly easy and stated that the decision to go to war with the country was taken to after the “horrific attacks on 9/11”. He also said that there was no reason for the country’s troops or the NATO forces to stay on in 2021 too. He added that it was important to focus on the challenges of future instead of going to war with Taliban.
He conclusively iterated that it was time to end “America’s longest war” and for the American troops to come home. Currently there are almost 2500 American troops in Afghanistan. President Biden denied any belief in the American intention of unifying Afghanistan as a goal. He did accept that the United States (US) will continue to stay alert for any indication of terrorist activities in any case.
There are concerns within the experts about the prospects of stability in Afghanistan. Many believe that the Taliban extremists might take over control again. That will be a big challenge for the people who were working with the US and NATO in the past. Several civil society organisations and NGOs have expressed discomfort about the state of human rights in Afghanistan after the withdrawal is completely. President Biden explicitly talked about the commitments that had been made by Taliban promising peace in the country and refraining from any terrorist activities. Reuters reported that on 29 February 20201, a deal was signed between US and Taliban emphasising the same. One of the clauses of that deal indicated withdrawal of US troops from the country.
Former American Secretary of State Hilary Clinton shared her worries about the decision having “huge consequences”. She opined that it was extremely important to protect the people who had worked with the American government and thus a separate visa programme was needed for refugees who needed haven in the US.
The decision take by the American President has had mixed responses. In fact China expressed its apprehension about the possibility of terrorist forces gaining control in Afghanistan as the situation was too complex.
On 4th May, The Guardian reported that a huge fight erupted between the government forces and the Taliban. This forced more than 1,000 families to flee from Helmand province in Afghanistan.
The consequences of the decision will unfold in the coming months.
