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DoD mum on regional troop presence plans after withdrawal

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Defense officials say they will maintain some US troop presence near Afghanistan for counterterrorism operations into the future, but would not say where that force would be based or whether it could be in place before all American troops leave the war-torn country.

According to Military Times, David Helvey, acting assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs said during a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday: “Those planning efforts are in parallel [with the drawdown], but they’re not linked.”

“We have a substantial capability in the Middle East. We’ll still have the ability to prosecute terrorism from positions around the region. Looking at what that footprint is going to be like within the region is going to be an important part of the equation,” he said.

The official withdrawal of US troops started on May 1 and is expected to be finished by September 11.

On Tuesday, US Central Command officials said withdrawal work is already six percent to 12 percent complete.

Defense officials have also been reluctant to unveil their post-withdrawal plans for the region, promising a regional security force but providing few details.

Meanwhile, Helvey told the house committee on Wednesday that military leaders will “be able to help to manage and mitigate the threat of terrorism that can emanate from Afghanistan,” thanks to established relationships with the government there.

He also noted that officials are reassessing their force levels throughout the region now, and looking for “areas that are closer to Afghanistan” for positioning American troops. Helvey declined to name any specific countries that may host a sizable contingent of service members.

He also declined to elaborate on how many US military forces would be stationed at American diplomatic facilities in Afghanistan, saying only that the issue is under review.

Helvey said “we’ve learned a lot over the past 20 years in how to address transnational terrorist threats” and echoed comments from Biden that the country needs to work more closely with international partners to root out and eliminate terrorist groups, Military Times reported.

Several Republican lawmakers took exception to that overview, saying that a more detailed strategy is needed to offset the “hasty” withdrawal of troops.

But Military Times reported that House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith pushed back on that criticism, calling the Biden plan “the best decision in a series of bad options” for the country.

“You cannot tell me that after 20 years, doing the same thing for another one or five or 10 years would have changed anything,” he said. “We would have been asking people to die to not accomplish anything. That’s a really tough thing to do.”

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Islamic Emirate’s army now self-sufficient, says chief of army staff

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Mohammad Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, says that over the past four years, the army forces of the Islamic Emirate have shown no hesitation in defending and protecting Afghanistan, and that today the country’s army is standing on its own feet.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, Fitrat made these remarks at a meeting with media representatives, political analysts, and a number of government officials aimed at coordination and strengthening cooperation. He added: “Nations that cannot stand on their own feet and rely on others, even if they grow, will not be capable of achieving real progress.”

Fitrat also expressed appreciation for the role of the media in ensuring security and in supporting the country’s defense forces, stating: “We and you, as citizens of this land, must put our hands together and build the country together, take pride in our forces, and strive with all our strength for the country’s development. We have created an army that defends honor, territorial integrity, and the borders of the country, and serves as the guardian of our freedom.”

He emphasized that the Islamic Emirate is working to establish an army equipped with modern weapons so that it can defend the country’s territory under all circumstances.

He stated that the country’s army has proven to the people that anyone who looks at this land with ill intent will face a firm and courageous response, and that it has also been made clear to neighboring countries that any aggression against Afghanistan will be met with a response several times stronger.

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Afghan health minister attends second WHO summit in India

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Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate, participated in the second World Health Organization meeting on traditional medicine during his official visit to India.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Public Health said that the meeting was held in India with the participation of representatives from around 100 countries, health ministers from 23 countries, professional experts from various nations, and officials from different departments of the World Health Organization.

During the meeting, discussions were held on the standardization of traditional medicine, training of individuals active in this field, recognition of traditional medicine as an established reality, and the sharing of countries’ experiences in this area.

The ministry stated that the purpose of participating in the conference was to standardize traditional medicine in Afghanistan, adding that for several decades this sector has been practiced in a non-standard manner and without a defined curriculum or clear principles.

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Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan boost trade and digital finance ties

Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives.

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Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Abdul Salam Hanafi, has met with a high-level Kyrgyz delegation led by Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakhyt Sydykov to discuss expanding bilateral trade and strengthening cooperation in digital financial services.

During the meeting, Hanafi reaffirmed Afghanistan’s readiness to deepen ties with Kyrgyzstan, stressing the importance of developing electronic administration systems and modern banking channels to facilitate trade and financial transactions between the two countries.

Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives. He also pointed to potential cooperation in areas such as the printing of securities and the development of electronic payment systems.

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