Biden: "May 1 Afghan Withdrawal Difficult"... US Forces Airstrike on Taliban Base

"The Agreement Signed by the Former President with the Taliban is Fluid"
Taliban Base Airstrike Ahead of Moscow Talks...Concerns Over Negotiation Difficulties

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. President Joe Biden stated that it would be difficult for U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan to withdraw by the May 1 deadline agreed upon with the Taliban. This suggests that the U.S. government is leaning toward extending the withdrawal deadline, a key issue in the Afghan peace negotiations. Additionally, U.S. forces in Afghanistan announced they conducted airstrikes on Taliban bases, which is expected to further complicate the peace talks scheduled to be held in Moscow, Russia.

According to foreign media including CNN, on the 17th (local time), President Biden said in an interview with ABC News, "It will be difficult to withdraw from Afghanistan by May 1," adding, "The agreement initially made by the previous administration with the Taliban was not finalized but fluid, and we are currently negotiating with other allied countries and the Afghan government." Although specific withdrawal or retention plans have not yet been finalized, there is analysis that the U.S. government is moving toward extending the withdrawal deadline for U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan.

On the same day, U.S. forces in Afghanistan announced via social media that they had conducted airstrikes over the past 48 hours on Taliban strongholds and Taliban fighters located in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan. The U.S. forces stated that this was in response to requests for support from the Afghan government against Taliban airstrikes and terrorist activities across Afghanistan.

The Taliban immediately reacted with strong opposition. Taliban spokesperson Qari Mohammad Yousuf Ahmadi condemned the airstrikes as "a clear violation of the agreement that cannot be justified in any way." The Taliban argue that, according to the Qatar Doha Agreement made with the U.S. during the Donald Trump administration last year, the U.S. must uphold its promise of a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.

Consequently, the Afghan peace talks scheduled for the 18th in Moscow, Russia, are expected to face difficulties. The day before, the Taliban had announced they would send a negotiation team to the Moscow talks, raising expectations that all parties involved in the Afghan issue?including the U.S., Afghan government, Taliban, Pakistan, and China?would gather. However, the recent airstrikes have raised the possibility that the Taliban may again refuse to negotiate.

Meanwhile, CNN reported that U.S. forces in Afghanistan hope the Biden administration will issue clear orders regarding withdrawal or retention before April 1 due to issues related to armed deployments. However, given the complex interests among various countries, it remains uncertain whether the withdrawal decision will be finalized by then.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.