The government forces of Afghanistan face possible bad outcomes and an uncertain future against Taliban insurgents as the removal of American and allied forces accelerates in the coming few weeks, the top United States military officer said on Sunday. General Mark Alexander Milley described the military and police of Afghanistan as sensibly well trained, sensibly well equipped, reasonably well-led.
Milley cited Afghan troops’ several years of experience against a tough insurgency, but he denied to say they are entirely ready to stand up to the Taliban insurgents without straight global backing during a possible Taliban offensive. A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke in an interview with CNN and Associated Press reporters flying with him from Hawaii to Washington a few hours after the official kickoff of the withdrawal.
Reporters asked whether he believes the Afghan security forces can delay under increased strain; Mark Milley was noncommittal. He said the Afghan army should stay together and remain a consistent fighting force, or do they collapse? Further, he adds that there is a range of scenarios here, a range of consequences and possibilities. On the other side, you get some terrible, dramatic possible outcomes. Additionally, you get military and government that stay together.
In Recent Years Afghan Military Operated with less Reliance on the U.S.
Within almost two months of the United States-led attack in October 2001, the Taliban rulers of the country removed from governance and uniformly defeated. However, within many years, they rearmed, regrouped, and reaffirmed themselves, taking advantage of sanctuary in the neighboring country, Pakistan. During the last few years, the Taliban achieved a battleground stalemate with American-supported Afghan government security forces.
Milley also noted that the Afghan military operated in the last some years with less dependence on the United States and alliance advisers. Among the main exceptions are the defense ministry and special operations commandos. However, for the majority, there are no advisers out there anyhow; he said U.S. President Joe Biden announced on 14th April that all American military forces would withdraw this summer.
Read Also: The US Officially Starts Afghanistan Troop Pullout
Millet stated that the usually cited total of twenty-five hundred troops rises to thirty-three hundred if American special operations forces counted. And the Biden administration is taking it down to zero. According to Milley, after the removal is over, America will provide indeterminate abilities to the military of Afghanistan from other locations.
Source: Web
He didn’t further explain it, but other officials said that those over-the-horizon arrangements supported the Afghan military forces yet to solidify. In addition, Miller adds that America may complete the withdrawal before 11th September, the announced target date by the White House. The target date reflects the projected maximum time needed for the United States to move all its and coalition troops, as well as significant equipment from Afghanistan.
Taliban Attacked an Afghan Army Base in Ghazni Province
On 1st May, the United States started turning a base over to the Afghan military forces in the Helmand province, the site of some of the severest fighting against Taliban troops last year. It is one of the series of facilities of military set to turned over to security forces of Afghanistan as part of the removal from Afghanistan that Joe Biden, the U.S. President, announced last month.
Kandahar Airfield received ineffective indirect fire this afternoon; no injury to personnel or damage to equipment.
Gen Miller has been clear about the Coalition’s intent to protect the force. pic.twitter.com/lcxicIgHHP
— USFOR-A Spokesman Col Sonny Leggett (@USFOR_A) May 1, 2021
Whereas one day earlier, the Taliban forces attacked an army base in southeastern Ghazni province of Afghanistan, Fawad Aman, the Defense Ministry told CNN, before the Afghan security forces recaptured it over the weekend. In response, America blows out a precision strike against rockets intended at Kandahar Airfield after the launch of indirect fire at the site, according to a spokesperson for United States forces in Afghanistan, Col. Sonny Leggett. However, the indirect fire resulted in no damage or injuries, but the American military leaders vowed to retaliate aggressively to any targeting of U.S. or coalition forces.
“A return to violence would be one senseless & tragic. But make no mistake, we have the military means to respond forcefully to any type of attacks against the coalition and the military means to support the Afg security forces. That would be a mistake to move in that direction.”
— USFOR-A Spokesman Col Sonny Leggett (@USFOR_A) May 1, 2021
