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Washington condemns attack on Kandahar base housing US troops
The Pentagon condemned the Taliban attack on a Kandahar air base Wednesday, where several hundred U.S. troops are based, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing.
“We condemn today’s attack on Kandahar airfield, home to several hundred U.S. and coalition personnel,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday night at the press briefing.
“While the attack resulted in no casualties or damage, the Taliban’s decision to provoke even more violence in Afghanistan remains disruptive to the opportunity for peace presented by ongoing negotiations,” he added.
A U.S. Forces-Afghanistan spokesman said the airfield is under control of the Afghan government, but U.S. and coalition troops are still present.
“The rockets landed outside the perimeter and there was no damage [and] no casualties,” the spokesman said in a statement.
Kirby, however, would not directly answer a question by the Washington Examiner on whether the attack constituted a violation of the U.S. agreement with the Taliban.
“I’m not prepared to give you an assessment right now, one way or the other, as to how this suits with the agreement,” he said.
“Clearly, the violence is too high,” he said of the situation in Afghanistan. “Clearly, this attack certainly indicates that’s going to be disruptive to the opportunity to achieve a peaceful negotiation, but I’m not prepared today to give an assessment of this attack as balance against the Doha agreement.”
Wednesday’s rocket attack comes just three weeks before the May 1 deadline for U.S troops withdrawal from Afghanistan as per the agreement signed in February last year between the Taliban and the US.
However, the Biden administration is still reviewing the situation and expectations currently are Washington will seek to extend troop presence in Afghanistan for the short-term.
Last month US President Joe Biden said in an interview a complete withdrawal would not be impossible but it would be “tough” from a logistics point of view.
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has emphasized the continuation of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, stating that the ongoing provision of such aid plays an important role in ensuring regional security.
Speaking at the international conference “Peace and Trust” in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, Tokayev described addressing complex humanitarian challenges and the reconstruction of Afghanistan as a necessity.
“To ensure regional security, we consider it essential to continue providing assistance to Afghanistan, including by strengthening international efforts to address complex humanitarian issues and the reconstruction of this country. Kazakhstan remains committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan through humanitarian aid, educational projects, trade development, and food security initiatives,” he said.
Meanwhile, experts believe that sustainable improvement of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan requires broad cooperation from the international community and support for the country’s economic development.
“Investment can be defined as one of the fundamental drivers of the economic cycle, and whenever Afghan traders do not take their money out of the country and instead invest domestically, it naturally leads to greater growth and dynamism in Afghanistan’s economy,” said Abdul Zahoor Modabber, an economic analyst.
As the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues, reports by international relief organizations indicate that millions of citizens of the country are in urgent need of food, health, and livelihood assistance.
The reduction in funding for aid organizations, the impacts of climate change, and the return of migrants have increased concerns about a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country.
The Islamic Emirate has announced that it will not participate in the upcoming meeting of special envoys of regional countries on Afghanistan, scheduled to be held in Tehran, despite having received an invitation.
In a statement, Zia Ahmad Takal, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Islamic Emirate has maintained continuous and active engagement with all regional countries through various organizations, regional formats, and bilateral mechanisms, achieving notable progress in promoting mutual understanding and regional cooperation.
The statement added that Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes regional cooperation should be advanced by strengthening existing mechanisms and formats within the region.
Tehran is set to host the meeting next week, with special envoys from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia expected to attend.
Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, Minister of Interior of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said during a visit to Khost province on Friday that any government which rules through fear cannot be considered a true government.
“A government is one that is loved by its people, one that serves them with respect and compassion, and from whose behavior people learn ethics and sincerity,” he said.
Haqqani also stressed that Afghans who opposed the Islamic Emirate in the past should be tolerated and treated in a way that helps eliminate hostility and animosity, paving the way for national cohesion.
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