Republicans Senate Minority leader Mickey McConnell The governor of Kentucky calls on the Democratic president to govern Joe Biden Air strikes against Taliban forces in Afghanistan. McConnell said that airstrikes are necessary to prevent radical Islamic groups from “occupying” the country’s capital, Kabul.
McConnell made comments on Friday after talking with the US ambassador to Afghanistan, Adela Raz. As the U.S. forces began to withdraw under Biden’s command, the Taliban quickly regained most of the country.
“This collapse is not only foreseeable, but also foreseeable,” McConnell said. “The President and his team actively decided to oppose a more responsible approach to safeguard our national security interests and protect our Afghan partners.”
“That said, it is not too late to stop the Taliban from occupying Kabul,” McConnell continued. “The government should act quickly to combat the progress of the Taliban through air strikes, provide critical support to the Afghan defense and security forces defending the capital, and prevent the city from seemingly about to fall.”
“If they don’t do this,” McConnell’s statement concluded, “the security threat to the United States will definitely increase, and the humanitarian cost to innocent Afghans will be catastrophic.”
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U.S Air strikes were used around July 22 To aid anti-Taliban Afghan forces. Various combat aircraft-including bombers and warplanes on aircraft carriers-carried out attacks. However, by that time, Taliban forces had occupied about half of the country’s 421 areas. Pentagon Say.
Biden initially set a deadline of September 11 Withdraw troops from the area. This date marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that led to the entry of US troops into the country.
“The Afghan government and leadership must unite,” Biden said. “They have the ability. They have the power. They have the equipment. The question is will they do it?” However, the White House also stated that there will be There is no “Victory Declaration” When departing from the United States.
“We won’t have a moment to’finish the task’,” the White House press secretary Jean Psaki Said on July 8. “We believe that it is in our national security interests to allow our men and women to return to serve in the country, and… to put the Afghan army in a leading position.”
Even before the U.S. military began to withdraw, the Taliban began to regain the land they lost during the 20-year occupation of the United States. Between May and June, 50 of Afghanistan’s 421 districts have fallen Taliban militant Deborah Lyons (Deborah Lyons) United Nations‘The Special Envoy for Afghanistan said. By early July, the Taliban insurgents had occupied more than one third of the country.
Since then, many people have criticized Biden for withdrawing troops.
Ata Mohammad Noor, an influential Afghan warlord and a major ally of the United States during the occupation, Calling the U.S. withdrawal “irresponsible.” He said that due to the rapid withdrawal of the United States, the country’s military has been severely weakened. He added that the remaining Afghan army was not logistically prepared to repel the insurgents, lacking morale, downtime, food, salary and reinforcements.
“We need factories to produce our own ammunition and workshops to repair aircraft and other vehicles supplied to the Afghan army,” Noor said. “But international forces are not trying to establish a self-sufficient foundation in Afghanistan.”
After that, he warned of a possible civil war. He has been pushing local militia organizations as a possible way to counter the threat of the Taliban.
On July 9, the Pentagon stated that the Taliban’s takeover of the country was “not inevitable” and promised to provide financial support to help the Afghan army fight back.America and NATO Commit to spend $4 billion annually The Afghan army until 2024.
Despite the promise, Republican Representative Adam Kinsinger of Illinois Lament exitHe said that the United States needs to stay longer.
“The Taliban has surpassed the will of the United States… We may have to go back now,” he added.
Republican Senator of Tennessee Martha Blackburn Calling the withdrawal “arbitrary” TwitterShe also said that this decision “abandons the 20 years of sacrifice and dedication that our brave men and women have made to defeat the Taliban.”
By July 19, the United States and 13 other allies issued statements Call on the Taliban to end all violence immediately And demonstrated commitment to the peace process. However, on the second day, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani stated that the Taliban “unintentionally or unwillingly” sought peace when they were hit by rockets near the presidential palace.
On August 8, British General Sir Richard Barrons stated that the departure of the United States may cause The “strategic outcome is very bad” in the region“We will risk the re-establishment of terrorist entities in Afghanistan and bring harm to Europe and other places,” Ballens told British Broadcasting Corporation.
By August 11, the Pentagon stated that the situation in the country was “deteriorating” because the Taliban Controlled major roads and border crossings In the country. The next day, the NGO Crisis Group estimated that the Taliban occupied 65% of the country’s territory.
Although the President initially planned to leave about 650 service personnel to help protect the U.S. Embassy there, he has since Decided to completely withdraw from the embassy.
Crisis group experts say If the Taliban overthrow Kabul and the presidential government, Then it will immediately seize all power. After that, fundamentalist Islamic organizations will begin to roll back any civil rights progress made by women and girls. The organization added that anyone deemed to be helping the U.S. military will be executed.
To this end, Biden promised to provide special immigrant visas to resettle thousands of Afghan interpreters and translators assisting the US military. Since then, they have been moved out of the country and their location has not been made public.Any translator staying in the country may “Hunted and executed like a dog” A former army captain said that it was the Taliban forces.
By August 12, American armies Say it believes Afghanistan can Under the full control of the Taliban within two months. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said the Department of Defense “Deeply Concerned” by Speed The Taliban used it to retake most of the country.
Washington post This week it was reported that the Biden administration is Preparing for the fall of Kabul Within 90 days after the United States withdrew on August 31.
Weekly newspaper Contact the White House for comments.
