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B-52 bombers ‘arrived in region’ as withdrawal process begins: Kirby

US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said on Friday that measures are being taken to safeguard US troops while they withdraw from Afghanistan and that already two B-52 bombers have arrived in the region for this purpose.
The Pentagon has also approved the deployment of hundreds of maritime, air and land forces to the region to ensure security for American and NATO forces as well as contractors as they withdraw, officials meanwhile told CNN.
According to Kirby, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin approved the extension of the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier’s mission to “remain in the Central Command area of responsibility for a period of time,” and approved “the addition of some long-range bombers” to the region in preparation for US troops to withdraw from Afghanistan.
Two B-52 bombers have arrived in the region already, Kirby said.
“I think it’s reasonable to assume as I’ve said before that there could be temporary additional force protection measures and enablers that we would require to make sure again that this drawdown goes smoothly and safely,” Kirby said during his Friday press briefing.
Officials meanwhile told CNN that the immediate focus is on continuing to ship out unneeded equipment and supplies that are either not being destroyed in place or transferred to Afghan forces.
“Obsolete” equipment will be destroyed, the official said adding that the movement of personnel out of Afghanistan will still not begin “for a few weeks,” and that the US will “retain our ability to defend the force and provide support” to Afghan units.
CNN reported that several hundred ground troops will also be sent to Afghanistan to provide “force protection” for troops leaving the nation. Under the Defense Department approval, no more than 1,000 ground forces will be sent.
According to CNN, there is particular concern about the safety of troops as they leave more remote locations around Kandahar, Jalalabad, and some special operations force locations in eastern Afghanistan.
Currently, there are 2,500 US conventional forces in Afghanistan plus hundreds of additional special operations forces that are not publicly acknowledged.
CNN reported that the military also plans to maintain combat air patrols over Afghanistan throughout the withdrawal to maintain security.
Several defense officials told CNN that informally there will be an effort to conduct as much of the withdrawal as possible before the September 11 deadline set by US President Joe Biden.
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India says Afghan embassy issue an ‘internal matter’

After reports of corruption and the move by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to take control of Afghanistan’s embassy in New Delhi, the Indian government has said the issue is an internal matter which does not involve them.
Representatives of Afghan refugees living in India have accused officials at the Afghanistan embassy in Delhi, including the ambassador, of corruption. The embassy denies the allegations.
Indian media have also reported that the embassy resisted IEA’s move to formally take control of the embassy.
Arindam Bagchi, India’s foreign ministry spokesman, said in a press conference that the issue is an internal matter of the embassy.
“From our perspective, this is an internal matter of the Afghan Embassy, and we hope that they would resolve it internally,” Bagchi said.
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UNSC to hold meeting on Afghanistan’s situation

The United Arab Emirates’ Permanent Representative to the UN Lana Nusseibeh said the UN Security Council will hold a meeting on Afghanistan later this month.
Nusseibeh, who is currently President of the Security Council, said: “We will hold a comprehensive meeting on Afghanistan’s situation on June 21.
“Our focus will be concentrated on Afghanistan’s situation, women’s rights in particular, over which all the members of the Security Council have agreed,” she added.
On Thursday, Nusseibeh told media in New York that the UN Security Council will continue working on the issues of Afghanistan, especially on women’s rights.
According to the UAE ambassador, Fraidoon Oglu, the UN Special Coordinator for Afghanistan Affairs will provide a comprehensive report about the situation in the country to the Security Council in November.
This comes after Fox News reported on Friday that several US Senators have proposed a bill to tighten sanctions against IEA officials in response to human rights violations in Afghanistan.
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TTP launching attacks using Afghan soil, says Pakistan’s interior minister

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has once again claimed that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is launching attacks against the country using Afghanistan’s soil.
“The position of the Afghan government is that they say we do not support Tehreek-e-Taliban against the government of Pakistan, but we have complaints about them, the people of this group enter Pakistan from Afghanistan; almost two months ago, they (Islamic Emirate) told us that we are moving them further away from the border so that they do not have access to attack Pakistan,” said Rana Sanaullah in an interview.
The Islamic Emirate meanwhile has consistently emphasized that no group will be allowed to use Afghan soil against other countries.
“Afghan soil is not used against anyone and we do not allow Afghan soil to be used against Pakistan or any other country,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, IEA’s spokesman.
“The policy of the Islamic Emirate has been analyzed in the light of Afghanistan’s issues and the country’s national interests, which is indeed a neutral and balanced policy adopted within the framework of international interests and international security,” said Hatef Mokhtar, a political analyst.
This comes after a high-ranking delegation of IEA officials, led by Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited Pakistan for talks. At a meeting with Pakistani officials in Islamabad, they emphasized the need for the expansion of diplomatic relations and bilateral cooperation.
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