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Former German FM blames lack of US coordination for chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan
Former German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Thursday blamed Germany’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 on the unilateral decision of then-US President Donald Trump.
Maas told a German parliamentary inquiry committee, that the then US government did not coordinate the withdrawal date with the then Afghan government, Deutsche Welle reported.
He said the Islamic Emirate clearly gained more confidence after the Doha agreement, increasing its number of attacks on former Afghan government troops.
The former German foreign minister said that there was no analyzing of the situation with NATO members, and the United States implemented the withdrawal plan, ignoring concerns at the NATO or EU.
Maas said that if Germany had known earlier when the United States would begin the evacuation process, it could have taken preparations earlier.
He referred to his trip to Kabul in April 2021, saying he did not think that “the government was collapsing.”
Meanwhile, former German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Gerd Müller also answered questions at the committee on Thursday.
He noted that despite the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, no local Afghan staff of German development partners were killed and no one was imprisoned.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met on Tuesday with Qatar’s ambassador to Kabul, Mirdif Al-Qashouti, to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and expanding Afghanistan’s engagement with the international community.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the meeting focused on Qatar’s efforts to facilitate the Islamic Emirate’s engagement with the international community.
Muttaqi welcomed the growing engagement between Afghanistan and the international community and praised Qatar’s role in supporting these efforts.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s ambassador reaffirmed Doha’s commitment to continuing its efforts and described the progress made so far as encouraging.
Alireza Bikdeli, Iran’s ambassador to Kabul, met on Tuesday with officials of the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines to discuss expanding economic relations, joint investment, and strengthening cooperation in the industrial and mining sectors.
During the meeting, Khan Mohammad Khan, deputy for industry at the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines, highlighted the existing opportunities in Afghanistan’s industrial and mining sectors and called on Iranian investors to make practical investments in these areas.
He said that with suitable opportunities available for industrial growth and the processing of raw minerals in Afghanistan, greater prospects exist for economic cooperation and joint investment with regional countries, particularly Iran.
Meanwhile, Bikdeli said that Iranian investors are showing growing interest in operating in various economic and production sectors in Afghanistan. He also emphasized Iran’s willingness to expand economic relations and bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
At the end of the meeting, he invited officials of the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines to participate in a mining exhibition scheduled to be held in Iran.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture says BBC radio broadcasts across the country have been suspended due to what it described as “repeated violations.”
Safiullah Raed, head of media monitoring at the ministry, confirmed the suspension, without providing further details.
The BBC has also confirmed that its radio broadcasts have been suspended across Afghanistan. A spokesperson for the broadcaster said it was in contact with officials of the Islamic Emirate to resolve the issue.
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