In view of the rapid advance of the militant Islamist Taliban in Afghanistan, the capital Kabul could fall into the hands of the insurgents much earlier than previously assumed by the USA, according to a newspaper report.
The collapse could take place in 30 to 90 days, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources in the US intelligence services. In the meantime, the Taliban have captured the ninth provincial capital.
As recently as June, US intelligence officials had assessed the situation in such a way that Kabul could come under the control of the Taliban within six to twelve months after the withdrawal of the US military. Despite the rapidly deteriorating security situation, US President Joe Biden again defended the withdrawal of the US military. In view of the recent advance of the Islamists after the extensive withdrawal of international troops, Biden said in the White House on Tuesday that the Afghans now have to “fight for their own state”. Their armed forces are militarily superior to the Taliban, also in terms of troop strength.
Biden appeal: “Pull together”
“But they must also want to fight,” said Biden. The US president also appealed to the political leadership in Kabul to pull together. Literally he said, “I think they are beginning to understand that they have to come together politically at the top.” Biden promised that the US would continue to support the Afghan security forces financially and militarily. He is informed of the situation every day.
With a view to the withdrawal of the US soldiers ordered by him, the President added: “But I do not regret my decision.” At the time of the decision, the US still had around 2,500 soldiers in Afghanistan. According to the military, the withdrawal is now more than 95 percent complete. It should be completely over by the end of the month. The armed forces, the German armed forces and the soldiers of other NATO countries have Afghanistan already left.
Video: ORF foreign policy chief Andreas Pfeifer analyzes the situation in Afghanistan after the capture of the provincial capital Saranj by the Taliban.
Since the withdrawal of international troops in early May, the Taliban have conquered many territories. With Faizabad, the capital of the northeastern province of Badakhshan fell into the hands of the Islamists, a provincial council and a representative of the provincial parliament confirmed to the German press agency on Wednesday. The Taliban now control the capitals of nine of the 34 Afghan provinces. Just hours before the fall of Faizabad, the insurgents took the provincial capitals Pul-e-Khumri in the northern province of Baghlan and Farah in the province of the same name in the west of the country on Tuesday.
According to Russian sources, the Taliban are in control Afghanistan Boundaries to the former Soviet republics of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan taken over. The Taliban had promised not to cross the borders, the newspaper “Kommersant” quoted on Wednesday as Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Moscow will continue to hold military exercises with its allies in the region. Russia also equipped its military base in Tajikistan with weapons and new armored vehicles. The two countries belong to a military alliance. Should there be an invasion of Tajikistan, Russia would be obliged to provide assistance.
The Soviet Union had Afghanistan occupied between 1979 and 1989. 15,000 of their soldiers were killed and tens of thousands injured.
