Stoltenberg says 20-year mission in Afghanistan ‘was not in vain’

In a question-and-answer session hosted by Brookings Institute, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the Afghanistan effort was worthwhile but that the alliance still needed to evacuate some Afghan allies.

“The mission was not in vain,” he said, highlighting that no terrorist attack has been staged from Afghanistan in the past 20 years.

“Those who have paid the ultimate price, those who have lost loved ones, family members, they should know that actually, they made an important contribution. They made the difference in the fight against terrorism.”

Stoltenberg also said it was not surprising that the Islamic Emirate (IEA) took control of Afghanistan but that the surprise was how quickly the group was able to seize power.

He said NATO must stay vigilant in tracking the developments in the country.

“The main task now is to do whatever we can to preserve as much as possible of the achievements we made on terrorism,” he said.

“That means to hold the Taliban (IEA) government accountable for their promises on terrorism, … but also to be ready to strike over the horizon, long distance, and to stay vigilant as NATO allies, to follow and monitor closely any attempt to reconstitute international terrorist groups in Afghanistan aiming at us.”