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Biden mentions Afghanistan withdrawal during end-of-term speech
US President Joe Biden raised the issue of his decision to end American military presence in Afghanistan during an end-of-term foreign policy speech Monday, saying he “saw no reason to keep thousands of servicemen” there.
“Today, I can also report to the American people [as] the first president in decades who’s not leaving a war in Afghanistan to his successor,” the 82-year-old said, adding that “the primary objective of war had been accomplished” when SEAL Team Six took out Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden during a daring Pakistan raid in 2011, the New York Post reported.
“I believe[d] that going forward, the primary threat of Al Qaeda would no longer be emanating from Afghanistan, but from elsewhere, and so we did not need to station sizeable number[s] of American forces in Afghanistan,” he said, adding that he “had a choice” on whether to keep the troops there.
“In my view, it was time to end the war and bring our troops home, and we did.”
The US withdrew its final soldiers at the end of August 2021, which resulted in the immediate collapse of the White House-backed republic government and ushered in the Islamic Emirate as the new rulers.
President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, January 20.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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