President Joe Biden looks set to expand the acquisition of American troops in Afghanistan

President Joe Biden looks set to expand the acquisition of American troops in Afghanistan

Washington : Without a direct and indirect statement, President Joe Biden appears ready to lower the May 1 deadline to end the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.

Formal withdrawals take time, and Biden ends.

Biden is so close to the deadline that his decision is almost a decision to postpone, at least a few months, the withdrawal of the remaining 2,500 troops and continue to support Afghan troops in danger of being attacked by the Taliban.

Removing all the soldiers and their equipment over the next three weeks - and the allies who are unable to stand on their own two feet - could be difficult in terms of resources, as Biden himself suggests by the end of March.

"It will be difficult to meet the May 1 deadline," he said. "For practical reasons, it is difficult to get those troops out." In a statement, he added, "And if we go, we will do so in a safe and orderly manner."

James Stavidis, a retired military commander who served as NATO's chief of staff from 2009 to 2013, says it would be foolish for him to leave immediately.

"Sometimes not making a decision is a decision, which seems to be the end of the May 1 deadline," Stavidis said in a text message on Wednesday.

President Joe Biden looks set to expand the acquisition of American troops in Afghanistan

"The most prudent act feels like it has been extended for six months and an effort to make the Taliban keep their promises - allowing legitimate conditions based on" autumn retreat. "

There is increasing pressure on Biden. On the other hand, he has opposed for many years, including his term as vice president, when President Barack Obama ordered the formation of more troops in the US, that Afghanistan is better treated as a counter-terrorism operation. The Russia-China census has already emerged as the most important.

On the other hand, current and former military commanders have argued that leaving now, with the Taliban in power and the Afghan government in a weak state, would risk losing what it had achieved in 20 years of war.

“Withdrawal will not only leave America at risk of terrorist threats; there will also be catastrophic consequences in Afghanistan and in an area that will not be of interest to any participant, including the Taliban, ”the Afghan Study Group said in a statement.

The group, whose chairman, retired Gen Joseph Dunford, a former US military commander in Afghanistan and a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, recommended Biden extend the deadline before May, perhaps by some agreement with the Taliban.

If the troops remain, Afghanistan will be the battle of Biden. His decisions, now and in the coming months, could determine the legacy of the 2001 U.S. invasion. It was designed in response to al-Qaida's attacks on September 11, when an extremist group led by Osama bin Laden used Afghanistan as a refuge.

Biden said during the 2020 campaign that if elected he would end up with terrorism in Afghanistan but would also "end the war with commitment" to ensure that U.S. forces. He must not return. The peace talks that began last fall between the Taliban and the Afghan government are considered the best hope, but have revealed little so far.

Postponing the U.S. withdrawal puts it at risk of a renewed invasion of the Taliban by U.S. forces and allies, which is likely to escalate the war. In the February 2020 agreement with President Donald Trump's administration, the Taliban agreed to halt such attacks and hold peace talks with the Afghan government, with a view to the United States' commitment to complete withdrawal by May 2021.

When he entered the White House in January, Biden was aware of the upcoming deadline and had time to meet with him if he had chosen to do so. It was only a matter of time before he canceled his decision to allow him to be consulted within the administration and its partners.

Flying thousands of troops and equipment from Afghanistan in the next three weeks under the threat of Taliban opposition is not technically feasible, though it may seem to break Biden's promise not to rush.

Biden reviewed the February 2020 agreement shortly after taking office, and recently as Tuesday's aides said he was still considering a way forward for Afghanistan. White House press secretary Jen Psaki emphasized that May 1 was a deadline set by previous management and that the decision was difficult. - AP