Photo: JIM LO SCALZO / EFE
By: EFE
Thursday, October 31
Blinken defends the exit of Afghanistan before the collapse of Government in Kabul
The Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, defended on Monday the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan as there was “no proof that a prolonged presence would have strengthened the resistance” of the Afghan Government, and considered that That scenario, moreover, would have meant the dispatch of more soldiers. Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives to explain the US exit from Afghanistan at the end of August after two decades of war, in which also noted that staying would have endangered the lives of more Americans .
“There is no evidence that staying longer would have made the Afghan security forces or the Afghan government more resilient or self-sustaining. If 20 years and hundreds of billions of dollars in support, equipment and training were not enough, why would one, five, or ten more have been ? ”Warned Blinken.
In addition, he assured that the Taliban have “pledged” to prevent the use of Afghanistan as a base for terrorist operations against the United States or its allies by Al Qaeda and the branch of the Islamic State (IS) in the region
“We will hold them accountable for it. It does not mean that we are going to trust them ” , Blinken said.
The chaotic evacuation of US troops from Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power occurred a day before the set by the president, Joe Biden, and has generated much criticism in the United States, especially among the Republican opposition , due to the lack of planning.
In the middle of this operation, an attack in Kabul airport claimed by ISIS claimed the lives of 13 US soldiers and others 18 were injured and also caused the death and injuries of dozens of Afghans.
This attack was the deadliest suffered by US troops in Afghanistan since 2011 .
The United States left Afghanistan last 30 August after 20 years of military intervention, the longest war in the country’s history, in which more than 2,000 Americans lost their lives .
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