Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani (R) meets U.S. Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin, in Kabul, Afghanistan March 21, 2021.
Presidential Palace/Handout through REUTERS
WASHINGTON – Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin traveled to Afghanistan on Sunday to satisfy with the nation’s chief, as Washington considers a possible finish to America’s longest struggle.
The journey, which makes Austin the primary Biden Cupboard-level official to go to the war-torn nation, comes 40 days forward of a U.S. troop withdrawal deadline.
In February 2020, the United States brokered a take care of the Taliban that may usher in a everlasting cease-fire and decreased additional the U.S. army’s footprint from roughly 13,000 troops to eight,600 by mid-July final yr.
By Could 2021, all international forces would go away Afghanistan, in line with the deal. There are about 2,500 U.S. troops at the moment within the nation.
The Biden administration has but to announce its subsequent steps ahead in Afghanistan.
The collective wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria have price U.S. taxpayers greater than $1.57 trillion since Sept. 11, 2001, in line with a Protection Division report.
The present U.S. army operations, designated Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in Afghanistan, Operation Inherent Resolve in Syria and Iraq, and Operation Noble Eagle for homeland safety missions within the U.S. and Canada, have accounted for $265.7 billion of that sum.
Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, which started in October 2001 and formally led to December 2014, price taxpayers $578.7 billion.
Of the three present operations, Freedom’s Sentinel takes the lion’s share of prices at $197.3 billion, adopted by Inherent Resolve at $40.5 billion and Noble Eagle at $27.9 billion.
U.S. Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin walks throughout his go to in Kabul, Afghanistan March 21, 2021.
Presidential Palace/Handout through REUTERS
Based on the report, the cash goes towards coaching, tools, upkeep in addition to meals, clothes, medical providers and pay for troops.
Final month, the world’s strongest army alliance met to debate an array of challenges dealing with the 30-member group. Excessive on the agenda was the trail ahead in Afghanistan. NATO joined the worldwide safety effort in Afghanistan in 2003 and at the moment has greater than 7,000 troops within the nation.
NATO Secretary-Normal Jens Stoltenberg mentioned the alliance will proceed to evaluate the scenario on the bottom in Afghanistan.
“Our goal is to guarantee that now we have a long-lasting political settlement that may make it attainable for us to go away in a manner that does not undermine our essential purpose and that’s to forestall Afghanistan from turning into as soon as once more a secure haven [for terrorists],” Stoltenberg mentioned.
“Nearly all of the troops are from European allies and accomplice nations. We’ll do what is critical to guarantee that our troops are safe,” he mentioned when requested if the alliance was ready for violence if the settlement with the Taliban is damaged.
Austin advised reporters on the heels of the NATO assembly that the U.S. troop drawdown in Afghanistan could be contingent on a discount of violence within the nation.
“The violence should lower, now,” Austin mentioned, in his first press briefing with reporters. “I advised our allies that it doesn’t matter what the result of our assessment, the US is not going to undertake a hasty or disorderly withdrawal from Afghanistan,” he mentioned, referring to the digital NATO conferences.
“There can be no surprises. We’ll seek the advice of one another, seek the advice of collectively and determine collectively and act collectively,” Austin mentioned of the NATO-led mission.