President Joe Biden has decided to leave US troops in Afghanistan beyond the May 1 deadline negotiated with the Taliban by the Trump administration, and has set the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks as the new one. goal, US officials said. Tuesday.
Biden has been hinting for weeks that he was going to let the deadline expire, and as the days passed, it became clear that an orderly withdrawal of the remaining 2,500 soldiers would be difficult and unlikely. US officials provided details on Biden’s decision on condition of anonymity, speaking before the announcement. It was first reported by The Washington Post.
His decision risks retaliation from the Taliban against US and Afghan forces, possibly escalating the 20-year war. And it will reignite the political divide over America’s involvement in what many have called the endless war.
However, setting the 9/11 date underscores why US troops were in Afghanistan to begin with: to prevent extremist groups from re-establishing a foothold in the country that could be used to launch attacks against the US. USA
In a February 2020 deal with the administration of President Donald Trump, the Taliban agreed to stop the attacks and hold peace talks with the Afghan government, in exchange for the United States’ commitment to a full withdrawal by May 2021.
Over the past year, US military commanders and defense officials said attacks on US troops have largely stopped, but say the Taliban have increased attacks on Afghans. The commanders have argued that the Taliban have failed to abide by the conditions of the peace agreement by continuing to attack Afghans and by not fully severing ties with al Qaeda and other extremist groups.
When Biden entered the White House in January, he was keenly aware of the looming deadline and had time to meet it if he had decided to do so. He released a review of the February 2020 deal shortly after taking office and has been consulting extensively with his military and defense advisers as well as his allies.
In recent weeks, it became increasingly clear that he was leaning toward challenging the deadline.
“It’s going to be difficult to meet the May 1 deadline,” Biden said in late March. “Just in terms of tactical reasons, it’s difficult to get those troops out.” Revealingly, he added: “And if we leave, we will do so in a safe and orderly manner.”