There is now a threat of Afghanistan becoming a terrorist stronghold, the German chancellor added
The international community has misjudged the ability of Afghan forces to resist the Taliban (a radical movement banned in the Russian Federation). German Chancellor Angela Merkel said this on Wednesday in a special statement to the Bundestag.
“The international community expected there would be battles between Afghan forces and the Taliban who had gained strength”, – the chancellor said. – “We underestimated the lightning speed with which Afghan forces would end their resistance.”
In the meantime, Merkel said, there is now the danger of Afghanistan becoming a terrorist stronghold.
“We cannot turn a blind eye to the threat that once forces withdraw, Afghanistan may once again become a stronghold of the international terrorist threat”, – she said.
The German Chancellor said that the international community had achieved the goal it had set in 2001 of preventing terrorist attacks in other countries from being planned in Afghanistan.