All US forces leave Afghanistan, Taliban gets full charge from today

Tuesday, 31st August 2021

The US military has completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, declaring the end of a brutal two-decade-long war — one that began and ended with the hardline Islamist Taliban in power, despite billions of dollars being sought to rebuild the war-torn country. "I am here to announce the conclusion of our withdrawal from Afghanistan and the end of the military mission to evacuate American citizens," US General Kenneth McKenzie told reporters on Monday at Washington time. "Today's withdrawal marks both the end of the military component of the evacuation and the end of the nearly 20-year mission that began in Afghanistan shortly after 9/11." [caption id="attachment_37235" align="aligncenter" width="567"]

Taliban fighters stand guard inside the Hamid Karzai International Airport[/caption] The last flight took off at 1929 GMT on Monday - just before the start of Tuesday in Kabul, he said. The withdrawal came before the end of August 31, the actual deadline set by President Joe Biden to mark time for America's longest war - one that ultimately claimed the lives of more than 2,400 US service members. Biden said he would address the nation on Tuesday in Washington. The transition presents an enormous test for Islamists in a desperately poor, diplomatically isolated country where more than four decades of war compounded profound political and social problems. Major challenges for the Taliban- Lack of confidence There is widespread suspicion about the Taliban among Afghans, and for a good reason. Even though there was relief in some parts of rural Afghanistan where people wanted to end the violence, many Afghans say that actions matter while the words do not matter. Women, especially in cities, remain afraid to walk outside, and there is at least a handful of armed resistance in the Panjshir Valley, a traditional anti-Taliban bastion. Economic, humanitarian disaster Afghanistan is one of the poorest nations in the world. Following the reversal of the Taliban in 2001, a large amount of foreign aid flows into the country. International aid accounted for more than 40% of GDP by 2020. The Taliban have provided some sources of income after taking over Afghanistan, such as customs clearance of border crossings, but even that is a fraction of the national needs. Brain drain Over the cash crunch, the Taliban face another critical shortcoming: qualified Afghans. As US-led forces began to retreat and the previous government began to lose control, the Afghans ran with skills, experience and resources on the way out. Their spokesman called on qualified Afghans not to leave, saying the country needed "experts" such as doctors and engineers. Diplomatic isolation The first Taliban regime was largely a pariah on the global stage. This time, they seem eager for wide international recognition, even though most nations have suspended or closed their diplomatic missions in Kabul. The group has had contacts with regional powers such as Pakistan, Iran, Russia and China, as well as with Qatar - which has hosted the Taliban political office for years. The United States has said that all legitimacy "will be earned". In an obvious sign of the separation across the Taliban, China and Russia have abstained from a UN Security Council resolution calling on the group to leave the Afghans. Experts said that Moscow and Beijing did not use their veto after the language was raised in connection with the Taliban. ISIS Terror threat The Taliban may have taken control of Afghanistan, but the threat of terrorist attacks in the country did not stop with its insurgency. Their jihadist rival, the regional chapter of the ISIS group, has already carried out a deadly suicide attack in Kabul, in which more than 100 people were killed at the airport during the evacuation operation. The Taliban and ISIS are both hardline Sunni extremists, but the latter has an even harsher and more brutal interpretation of Islamic law. ISIS said it was continuing to fight in Afghanistan, and its statements described the Taliban as apostates. The Taliban are now facing a sharp role change: they must defend the Afghan people against the kind of attacks by their own fighters for years.