US Kabul Airport Evacuation Enters Final Phase... Taliban Government Formation Accelerates

Poland-Belgium Evacuation Operation Ends, Turkish Troops Begin Withdrawal
US Department of Defense: "Focus on Withdrawal Operations for Two Days Starting the 30th"
Taliban Senior Leader Appointed to Key Position... "Inclusive Government Plan to Be Announced Soon"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the evacuation operation for their nationals by the United States and its allies in Afghanistan enters its final stage, the Taliban is reportedly accelerating the formation of a new regime by appointing senior Taliban leaders to key government positions. Although negotiations for an inclusive government with various warlord factions within Afghanistan are ongoing, there is growing concern that the Taliban might overturn existing agreements and establish a unilateral regime once U.S. and allied forces have fully withdrawn.

According to foreign media including the Associated Press on the 25th (local time), Poland and Belgium, which had been continuing evacuation operations at Kabul Airport alongside the U.S., announced the end of their evacuation missions and the complete withdrawal of their remaining troops. The Turkish military, which was responsible for guarding Kabul Airport together with U.S. forces, also announced the start of its withdrawal, signaling that the evacuation operation at Kabul Airport is entering its final phase.

The U.S. Department of Defense also stated that from the 30th, it will focus on the withdrawal of U.S. troops. John Kirby, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, said at a press briefing that "since the 14th, we have successfully evacuated 82,300 people from Kabul Airport, and on the 30th and 31st, we will concentrate on the withdrawal of U.S. forces." He added, "There are still about 10,000 people waiting at Kabul Airport."

Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sparked controversy by stating at a press conference that "about 1,000 U.S. citizens remain in Afghanistan," but the Department of Defense clarified that the remaining 1,000 are dual nationals who do not wish to leave Afghanistan, and while they are continuously encouraged to depart abroad, they may choose not to leave.

Accordingly, no additional evacuation operations by U.S. forces are expected after the withdrawal deadline. The Department of Defense emphasized that out of the 5,800 U.S. troops deployed to guard Kabul Airport, 400 have already withdrawn, and the remaining 5,400 will all withdraw by the August 31 deadline.

As the U.S. and its allies begin their withdrawal, the Taliban is accelerating the formation of a new government. The day before, Taliban leadership appointments were made for positions such as acting Minister of Finance, acting Minister of Interior, and Mayor of Kabul. The Taliban issued a statement appointing Gul Agha as acting Minister of Finance and Sadr Ibrahim as acting Minister of Interior. Najibullah was appointed as head of intelligence, while Mullah Shirin and Hamdullah Nomani were named Governor and Mayor of Kabul, respectively. According to Al Jazeera, all of these appointees are known to be senior military commanders within the Taliban.

The Taliban appeared conscious of the fact that all key positions were filled by Taliban members, emphasizing that "these appointments are temporary measures, not finalized decisions," but concerns remain that they may pursue an autocratic regime after the withdrawal of U.S. and foreign forces.

On the surface, the Taliban continues to emphasize the formation of an inclusive government and ongoing negotiations. According to the Associated Press, the Taliban plans to announce a proposal for an inclusive government immediately after the U.S. troop withdrawal deadline and is reportedly maintaining contact not only with warlords but also with members of the Afghan government.

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