Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III participates in a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, April 14, 2021. (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders)
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
President Joe Biden announced this week the United States will withdraw all remaining troops from Afghanistan by September 11, after 20 years of war, trillions spent and more than 2,300 Americans killed. It was a dramatic announcement finally ending the longest American war that had eluded the past three U.S. presidents.
“I’m now the fourth United States President to preside over American troop presence in Afghanistan: two Republicans, two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility on to a fifth.”
-President Biden
The President added:
“After consulting closely with our allies and partners, with our military leaders and intelligence personnel, with our diplomats and our development experts, with the Congress and the Vice President, as well as with Mr. Ghani and many others around the world, I have concluded that it’s time to end America’s longest war. It’s time for American troops to come home. “
Secretary of Defense Austin Firmly Backs President’s Decision to End Afghan War
Defense Secretary Austin spoke along with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a news conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels after President Biden’s announcement. Austin and Blinken thanked NATO service members for their sacrifices in the common defense. There are currently around 10,000 NATO forces in Afghanistan, with 2,500 of them being American. This is down from over 100,000 in 2011.
“Our troops have accomplished the mission they were sent to Afghanistan to accomplish. And they have much for which to be proud. Their service and their sacrifices, alongside those of our Resolute Support and Afghan partners, made possible the greatly diminished threat to all of our homelands from al-Qaida and other terrorist groups.”
-U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin
According to the Secretary of Defense, the United States will continue to fund key Afghan capabilities like the Air Force and the Special Mission Wing. The United States and allies will continue to fund the Afghan Security Forces.
“We will also work closely with them and with our allies to maintain counterterrorism capabilities in the region sufficient to ensuring Afghanistan cannot become a safe-haven for terrorists who threaten our security,”
-Austin said.
NATO, U.S. To Focus on “China Threat” After Afghan Pullout: Defense Secretary Austin
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III meet at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium Apr. 14,2021 (credit: nato.int)
The end of the action in Afghanistan will allow the U.S. military and NATO allies to focus on other more dangerous threats for the future: Notably China and Russia, the U.S. Defense Secretary added.
“I want to thank all those who served in Afghanistan,” Austin said. “I know all too well the sacrifice we’ve all made to get us to this point. And to the families and loved ones of those who did not make it home, for all those forever changed by this war, I pledge our unwavering support for the grief and the challenges you still endure. We honor you. And we honor their memory. And we always will. And I believe the President’s decision proves exactly that.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the NATO effort in Afghanistan “prevented Afghanistan from serving as a safe haven for terrorist attacks.” Stoltenberg added that pulling the troops out of the country will not mean the end of NATO nation’s efforts in Afghanistan. He cited diplomatic and economic efforts that will continue, and he called on the Taliban to seriously negotiate with the Afghan government.
