Following the footsteps of its NATO ally, United States, the United Kingdom will withdraw all its troops from the war-torn Afghanistan
The United Kingdom (U.K.) will withdraw all its troops from the war-torn Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, following the footsteps of its North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) ally, United States (U.S.).
Britain and U.S. have firmed up plans for handing over the control of the academy to Kabul where training is given to Afghan soldiers. It is to be noted that NATO had said that its members will leave Afghanistan together. While the U.S. will withdraw around 2,500 soldiers, U.K. will withdraw 750 soldiers.
Besides, without the support of U.S., the U.K would struggle to retain its troops as it relies heavily on U.S. bases and infrastructure. The country became a hotspot of war after 9/11. The U.K. has lost 450 troops during the conflict with the Taliban and from al-Qaeda.
The Ministry of Defence of U.K. has also made it clear that any changes relating to U.K. troops presence in Afghanistan would be done in agreement with the U.S. During the peak of the war, NATO had more than 130,000 troops from 50 nations in Afghanistan. Of this, U.K. had 9,500 personnel and 137 bases in Helmand Province alone.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Secretary of State – Antony Blinken today, i.e., Wednesday, April 14, 2021discussed the Afghanistan matter with the NATO Secretary General – Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, among others.
Speaking from Brussels, Blinken said, “I am here to work closely with our allies, with the (Nato) secretary general, on the principle that we have established from the start: In together, adapt together and out together.”
Taking it to twitter, Blinken tweeted,
Productive meeting with NATO Secretary General @jensstoltenberg today where we discussed Afghanistan and Ukraine. Our Alliance is essential to achieving our mutual goals. We look forward to the upcoming NATO Summit. #WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/jKx8ufg9AR
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 14, 2021
However, the Afghan Government doesn’t want NATO troops to leave the country. It is afraid that this would leave the country to the perils of Taliban attacks. The Speaker of the Afghan Parliament – Mir Rahman Rahmani has warned that the withdrawal of foreign forces in the current circumstances would lead to civil war.
Earlier, in February 2020, the U.S. and the Taliban had agreed to a ‘Bringing Peace to Afghanistan’ agreement. It was signed in the capital city of Qatar, Doha. As per the agreement, the U.S. and the NATO members must withdraw al their troops from Afghanistan within 14 months of the agreement provided Taliban assures it will not allow Al Qaeda or other terror outfits to operate in the region. At the same time, Taliban will not target international troops or diplomats. While Taliban has stopped attacking international forces, it continues to fight Afghan Government.
