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Esper raised concern over early US drawdown from Afghanistan: report

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US former Defense Secretary, Mark Esper, in a memo to the White House expressed his concerns about early withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan before he was fired by President Donald Trump, the Washington Post reports, quoting senior officials.

This comes as president Trump seeks withdrawal of all US troops from Afghanistan by Christmas.

According to the Washington post after consulting with senior military officers, Esper has sent a classified memo to the White House expressing concerns about additional cuts.

The Washington Post reports that “conditions on the ground were not yet right, Esper wrote, citing the ongoing violence, possible dangers to the remaining troops in the event of a rapid pullout, potential damage to alliances and apprehension about undercutting the negotiations.”

Colin Jackson, a senior Pentagon official told Washington Post, that he has advocated against a withdrawal now.

“We don’t have a single example where pulling the plug has gone well — Vietnam, Iraq,” he said, as quoted in the report. “Not one.”

One former senior White House official said it is not possible for the United States to remove all troops “without crushing the coalition there.”

“We can get down to maybe 4,500,” the official said. “But we cannot be at zero.”

US Sen. Rand Paul also stepped into the debate Wednesday.

“Reminder to those saying withdrawing troops may cause a ‘clash’ with Generals/Pentagon: there is only one Commander in Chief, it is Donald Trump and when he orders the troops out of Afghanistan, the only proper answer is ‘Yes sir,’ ” he tweeted.

On the other hand, Afghan analysts reacted to the Esper’s concerns and said that early poll out of US troops will be dangerous for Afghanistan and the region.

“The US should understands that international community can’t tolerate such irresponsible act. This will be dangerious for Afghanistan and the region,” said Tajuddin Milatmal, a political analyst.

However, Rahimullah Sirat Zadran, international relation analyst, said that US seek its interests.

“The US said that we work for our own interests, they do not work for Afghanistan and Afghans,” said Zadran.

Meanwhile, in a memo to the Defense Department workforce, Christopher C. Miller, acting secretary of defense described at length the respect he has for the institution and the sacrifices made by thousands of men and women who have deployed to the Middle East since the Sept. 11 attacks.

“Ending wars requires compromise and partnership. We met the challenge; we gave it our all. Now, it’s time to come home.” according to a mcclatchydc report quoting Christopher C. Miller, acting secretary of defense,

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Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan discuss cooperation on Afghanistan

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Ismatulla Irgashev, Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Beibut Atamkulov, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan, to discuss bilateral cooperation on Afghanistan.

The two sides highlighted their commitment to maintaining regular dialogue aimed at addressing the Afghan issue, according to a statement issued by Uzbekistan foreign ministry.

Atamkulov praised Uzbekistan’s efforts to help shape a unified regional position on Afghanistan.

The meeting also included discussions on involving Afghanistan in regional connectivity initiatives, particularly the implementation of the Trans-Afghan railway project.

Officials described the meeting as constructive and reaffirmed mutual interest in further developing practical cooperation between Tashkent and Astana.

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Pakistan, Kazakhstan stress importance of stability in Afghanistan, support regional projects

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Pakistan and Kazakhstan have highlighted the importance of peace and stability in Afghanistan, calling it a key requirement for advancing regional cooperation. The remarks came in a joint statement issued after Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to Islamabad.

The two leaders stressed that Afghan territory must not be used for activities that threaten the security of other countries. They also agreed that integrating Afghanistan into regional economic and connectivity initiatives would benefit both the Afghan people and the wider region.

Islamabad and Astana reaffirmed their commitment to expanding international multimodal transport corridors linking the two countries, including the Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan, Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan, and Kazakhstan–Kyrgyzstan–China–Pakistan routes.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed President Tokayev’s proposal to link Central and South Asia through the Trans-Afghan railway corridor. Both sides instructed their relevant authorities to study the development of the Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan railway line.

 

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US Justice Department to seek death penalty for Afghan suspect in National Guard shooting

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The U.S. Justice Department has announced that it intends to seek the death penalty for Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man accused of shooting two members of the National Guard near the White House in November, an incident that left one guard member dead and another injured.

Lakanwal, who previously worked with U.S. agencies in Afghanistan before relocating to the United States in 2021, appeared in a federal court this week and pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including first-degree murder.

Prosecutors told the judge they are pursuing “death-eligible charges.”

According to U.S. court documents, Lakanwal is accused of traveling from Washington state to the capital, where he allegedly attacked the two National Guard officers.

A third guard member detained him shortly after the incident. One of the victims, Sarah Beckstrom, died a day later, while the second, Andrew Wolfe, remains under medical care.

Court filings claim Lakanwal had obtained a pistol shortly before the attack and had also purchased ammunition. Prosecutors say he conducted online searches related to Washington, D.C., before the shooting.

Lakanwal is scheduled to appear for his next court hearing in early May.

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