US Airstrike on Afghan Taliban Base... Taliban Reacts to Indication of Troop Withdrawal Deadline Extension (Summary)

Biden: "May Withdrawal Difficult, Agreement with Taliban Itself Is Fluid"
Taliban Denies: "Clear Violation of Agreement"... Moscow Talks Expected to Face Difficulties

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The U.S. military announced that it conducted airstrikes on bases of the Taliban, an armed group in Afghanistan currently engaged in peace negotiations. At the same time, U.S. President Joe Biden indicated that the withdrawal of U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan by May would be difficult, leading to speculation that the U.S. military presence will be extended. The Taliban has strongly opposed this, claiming it violates the peace agreement made with the U.S. during the Donald Trump administration, and it is expected that the trilateral peace talks among the U.S., the Taliban, and the Afghan government will face further difficulties.

According to foreign media including the Associated Press, on the 17th (local time), the U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A) announced via Twitter that "over the past 48 hours, airstrikes were conducted on Taliban strongholds and Taliban fighters located in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan," adding that "these airstrikes were carried out in response to the Afghan government's request for support following Taliban attacks on Afghan government military bases."

On the same day, President Biden also hinted at the possibility of extending the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan. In an interview with ABC News, Biden stated, "It will be difficult to withdraw by May 1 in Afghanistan," and added, "The agreement made by the previous president with the Taliban was not finalized but fluid, and we are currently negotiating with other allies and the Afghan government."

As a result, analyses suggest that the U.S. military stationed in Afghanistan is likely to extend the withdrawal deadline, which has caused strong backlash from the Taliban. Taliban spokesperson Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said at a press conference, "The U.S. airstrikes are a clear violation of the agreement that cannot be justified in any way," and asserted, "The U.S. government must adhere to the permanent and comprehensive ceasefire promise and withdrawal deadline according to the Qatar Doha Agreement made during the Trump administration last year."

Previously, in September last year, Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan under the Trump administration, signed a ceasefire agreement with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, promising the withdrawal of U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan by May 1. However, NATO and European allies stationed in Afghanistan alongside U.S. forces opposed the withdrawal, and the Biden administration, which has made restoring the Atlantic alliance a diplomatic priority, was widely expected to postpone the withdrawal deadline.

The Afghan peace talks scheduled to be held in Moscow, Russia, on the 18th are also expected to face difficulties. The talks are set to include all parties involved in the Afghan peace process, including the U.S., the Afghan government, the Taliban, Pakistan, and China, raising hopes for a breakthrough in the peace negotiations.

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