US President Joe Biden is considering the option of postponing the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan until November. This was reported by NBC TV channel, citing its sources
Last February, former US President Donald Trump’s administration reached a peace deal in Doha with the Taliban (banned in Russia). Under the agreement, the U.S. and its allies pledged to withdraw troops from the country within 14 months – the deadline is May 1. The Taliban have in turn pledged not to use Afghan territory for actions that threaten the security of the US and its allies.
NBC sources say Pentagon leaders have given the president several options: to withdraw troops by May 1 in accordance with the agreement, to keep troops in Afghanistan indefinitely, or for a period to be determined by the president.
“Pentagon leaders are persuading the president to consider extending the stay of US troops in Afghanistan for another six months, saying the Taliban are not fulfilling their part of the agreement”, – the channel’s interlocutor said.
Earlier in an interview with ABC television, Biden said the US agreement with the Taliban (banned in Russia) had not been sufficiently worked out and the US administration was now in the “process of deciding whether to withdraw troops from Afghanistan”.