Pentagon says no decision made yet regarding US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan

The US says it has made no decision yet regarding the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan, claiming that ‘violence’ must be reduced in the war-ravaged country, where American forces are present for the past 20 years.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made the remarks on Friday, briefing Pentagon reporters on the outcome of a NATO two-day virtual meeting held on Wednesday and Thursday, whose top agenda was the fate of the alliance’s 9,600-strong mission in Afghanistan.

“The United States will not undertake a hasty or disorderly withdrawal from Afghanistan that puts [Afghan military] forces, or [NATO’s] reputation at risk,” the new Pentagon chief said during his first briefing since taking office last month.

“In the meantime, current missions will continue, and of course commanders have the right and the responsibility to defend themselves and our Afghan [military] partners against threats,” Austin added.

Former US president Donald Trump signed a deal with the Taliban militant group, which controls large parts of Afghanistan, in February last year to withdraw troops by May this year in exchange for the Taliban to halt attacks on foreign forces.

The future of the NATO deployment will be largely determined by new American President Joe Biden, who will either stick to the May withdrawal deadline or risk a bloody backlash from the Taliban by staying in Afghanistan.

Taliban warn NATO against staying in Afghanistan beyond deadline

The Taliban warn NATO against a “continuation of war” in Afghanistan beyond the May withdrawal deadline agreed with the United States.

The US along with its NATO allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 under the guise of fighting terrorism and dismantling the al-Qaeda Takfiri terrorist group.

The invasion — which has turned into the longest war in US history — removed the Taliban from power, but the militant group has never stopped its attacks, citing the foreign military presence as one of the main reasons behind its continued militancy.

The White House says it is reviewing the US-Taliban deal, while the Pentagon has accused the group of not fulfilling promises.

Trump reduced the number of US troops to 2,500 in January, their lowest figure since the onset of the so-called war on terror.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Austin said that he had assured NATO allies that they would not be taken aback by Biden’s decision on the fate of the forces in Afghanistan, whatever his verdict might be.

“We will consult each other and consult together, decide together, and act together,” he repeated what he had told  NATO allies, which were at times blindsided by mostly abrupt decisions made during Trump’s administration.

No decision on any NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan: Stoltenberg

NATO says its defense ministers made no decision at a recent meeting in Brussels on whether or when to pull out of war-torn Afghanistan.

During the past several months, the Taliban has escalated attacks in Afghanistan amid stuttering peace talks with the central government in Kabul. The Taliban also warned NATO ministers against seeking a “continuation of occupation and war.”

“Clearly the violence is too high right now and more progress needs to be made in the Afghan-led negotiations,” Austin said. “I urge all parties to choose the path towards peace. The violence must decrease now.”

The United Nations says more than 100,000 civilians have been killed or injured over the past decade across Afghanistan.

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