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Blinken visits Kabul in a show of support after troop withdrawal announcement
US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, flew into Kabul on Thursday where he met with President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), in a show of support following the announcement Wednesday of the total withdrawal of all foreign troops by September.
On Wednesday night US President Joe Biden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced all troops will be pulled out of Afghanistan by September 11. The drawdown will however start on May 1.
According to the Presidential Palace (ARG), Blinken told Ghani on Wednesday in a meeting: “The withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan will not mean the weakening of strategic relations between the two countries.”
“The United States will honor its commitments to the government and people of Afghanistan,” he said.
According to ARG, Blinken said the United States would continue its diplomatic and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and to Afghan forces and will continue its efforts to facilitate the Afghan peace process.
During the meeting with Abdullah, Blinken said: “We have a partnership that is changing but enduring” and “as the [US] president says, we have a new chapter but it’s a new chapter that we’re writing together.”
On Wednesday night Biden said: “It is time to end America’s longest war. It is time for American troops to come home from Afghanistan.”
He said the US will begin its withdrawal on May 1 and that it will not be a “hasty rush to the exit.”
He also stated that if the Taliban attacks, the US will defend itself and partners with “all the tools at our disposal.”
The announcement was not however welcomed by the Taliban who issued a veiled threat to the US and NATO in a statement on Thursday.
The group said the US decision to pull out of Afghanistan starting May 1 is in violation of the agreement signed between the two parties in Doha last year. The Taliban stated it “is a clear violation of the Doha Agreement and non-compliance with its commitments.”
Because of the extended stay in Afghanistan, the Taliban said it would “take every necessary countermeasure, hence the American side will be held responsible for all future consequences.”
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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