he rapid and poor implementation of the withdrawal of the US military contingent from Afghanistan has triggered an escalation of tensions in the region, which may lead to irreversible consequences, said American political expert Andrew Korybko in his commentary to News Front
As previously reported, Taliban fighters have claimed the capture of the city of Kandahar, which is the second largest in Afghanistan. The Taliban offensive continues to gain momentum. Politico writes that the European Union is watching with fear the escalation of the situation in Afghanistan. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell called on the Taliban to immediately stop the offensive and start negotiations.
Experts believe the United States bears greater responsibility for the growing military collapse. British edition of The Guardian notes that Washington made a series of mistakes and committed inappropriate actions during the military presence in the country. Besides, the combat equipment left by the US which has fallen into the hands of the Taliban*, considerably reduces the chances of success of the Afghan army.
“The Afghan allies of the US are being defeated in the run-up to the withdrawal of US troops by the end of the month because they lack popular support among the masses. Many members of the Afghan National Army joined the armed forces because of economic desperation, not because of their loyalty to the US-backed government”, – Korybko said.
As the Taliban continue to expand their gains across the country, he said, they will be in a better position to push their main political demand for President Ghani’s resignation before any peace is possible.
“The international community is preparing to cautiously welcome the group in the near future, even though it is still formally considered a terrorist group. The Taliban may eventually be delisted from the UN Security Council if they come to power peacefully, but the US has promised to isolate them if they return to power by force. This means that such a resolution is likely to be vetoed, thus making it possible for the group to be removed from the list”, – the expert summarised.