US "Will Continue Air Support in Afghanistan"... Emphasizing Political Solutions

On the 25th (local time), Kenneth McKenzie, commander of the U.S. Central Command, held a press conference in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. Kabul (Afghan) = Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the US troops stationed in Afghanistan announced that they will strengthen air support for the Afghan government forces to halt the Taliban's advance, concerns about a large-scale civil war are rising. While the US military continues to emphasize the withdrawal deadline at the end of next month, the Taliban is reportedly preparing siege attacks on the capital Kabul and nearby major cities, prompting numerous Afghan residents to flee.

According to foreign media including the Associated Press on the 25th (local time), General Kenneth McKenzie, commander of the US Central Command overseeing the Middle East region, stated at a press conference that "The US military has recently intensified airstrikes against the Taliban and will strengthen air support for the Afghan government forces over the coming weeks to stop the Taliban's advance." This has increased concerns about the outbreak of a large-scale civil war between the Afghan government forces and the Taliban.

Commander McKenzie emphasized, "The capital Kabul and major cities in various regions of Afghanistan are still under the control of the Afghan government forces. Although the Taliban seeks to isolate these areas, it will be difficult for them to succeed. The Taliban's victory is not inevitable, and there remains the possibility of a political solution between the two parties." However, he avoided answering questions about whether the US military would continue to support the Afghan government forces after the withdrawal deadline at the end of August.

However, the negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government currently underway in Doha, Qatar, have once again collapsed. According to Al Jazeera TV, the two sides resumed peace talks in Doha over two days last weekend after the previous week's breakdown, but the talks ended again without significant progress. Nevertheless, both parties indicated their willingness to continue negotiations until a peace agreement is reached.

As the Taliban's influence expands and their demands increase, the bilateral peace talks appear to be stagnating. According to CNN, the US military also reports that the Taliban has occupied more than half of Afghanistan's 419 districts and is conducting siege attacks on urban centers in over 30 key areas. CNN pointed out that once the US military completes its withdrawal, the collapse of the Afghan government forces is highly likely.

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