An Afghan official familiar with talks with the Taliban says the group does not plan to make any decisions or announcements about the upcoming government until after the August 31 US withdrawal date passes.
The official, who is not authorised to give information to the media and thus spoke anonymously, says Taliban lead negotiator Anas Haqqani has told his ex-government interlocuters that the insurgent movement has a deal with the US to do nothing until after the final withdrawal date passes, the Associated Press reported.
He did not elaborate on whether the reference to doing nothing was only in the political field.
Haqqani’s statement raises concerns about what the religious movement might be planning after August 31, and whether they will keep their promise to include non-Taliban officials in the next government.
Until now the Taliban have said nothing of their plans to replace the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, or what a replacement would look like.
5,200 US Troops in Kabul Till Now
The US footprint in Kabul is now over 5,200 total troops on the ground, US Army Major General William Hank had said on Thursday, adding that the Kabul Airport remains secure and open for flight operations. “Since the start of evacuation operations on Aug 14, we have evacuated approximately 7,000 total evacuees," he said.
Since the start of the Taliban blitz, troops from the United States, despite their previously ongoing withdrawal, have increased to assist evacuations in the country.
The speed with which the Islamist militant Taliban conquered Afghanistan as US and other foreign troops were completing their withdrawal surprised even their own leaders and has left power vacuums in many places.
Withdrawal Date May be Extended, Says Biden Amid Mounting Criticism
Despite the August 31 deadline of US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Joe Biden said on Thursday, that “if there’s American citizens left, were going to stay until we get them all out", signalling a possible extension of the date.
Biden has been busy brushing off criticism of his administration’s chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal because he and his aides believe the political fallout at home will be limited, according to White House allies and administration officials.
Biden and his top aides argue they are managing an evacuation mission as well as could be expected given the faster-than-anticipated takeover of the country by Taliban insurgents, and are seeking to draw attention back to the choice to get U.S. troops out of the country.
The strategy is based on internal and public polling that shows the Afghanistan withdrawal had been by far the most popular decision Biden has made, even though the issue was not central for most voters.
“The public opinion is pretty damn clear that Americans wanted out of the ongoing war and don’t want to get back in. It’s true today and it’s going to be true in six months," said one Biden ally. “It isn’t about not caring or being empathetic about what’s going on over there, but worrying about what’s happening in America."
Biden has faced criticism even from some fellow Democrats for his handling of the crisis.
With inputs from Reuters, the Associated Press.
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