As United States’ troops continue to withdraw from Afghanistan after decades of camping in the conflict-ridden country waging its promised “war on terror”, the Taliban has once again resumed its assault on Afghan cities. The White House, taking note of the evolving situation, said that US president Joe Biden will deliver a major policy speech on Afghanistan today and an update on the drawdown of troops.
Biden will announce his Afghanistan policy after a meeting with his national security team, confirmed White House press secretary Jen Psaki. The US president will be provided at the meeting with a periodic update on the progress of the military drawdown from Afghanistan.
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“Early tomorrow afternoon, the President will make comments on our continued drawdown efforts and ongoing security and humanitarian assistance to the ANDSF (Afghan National Defence and Security Forces) and the Afghan people,” Psaki said.
The US president is of the opinion that there is no “military solution” to a war spanning well over two decades, the White House said while providing a brief on Biden’s Afghanistan policy. “He has long felt there was not a military solution. Diplomatic negotiations,” Psaki told reporters abroad Air Force One.
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However, the US will not completely look away from Afghanistan, the White House has assured. The Biden-Harris administration has made it a point to highlight to Afghan leaders that America will continue to provide humanitarian and security assistance. We intend to continue to have a diplomatic presence on the ground in Kabul, even after we bring the servicemen and women home at the end of August. So, that is a mechanism for that,” she said.
The US military exit from Afghanistan before September 11 stems from the February 2020 agreement Washington signed with the Taliban in return for counterterrorism guarantees and pledges the group would negotiate a political settlement to the war with the Afghan government.
(With inputs from PTI)
