UK withdrawal fr Afghanistan

 

UK says Afghanistan withdrawal may not go beyond Aug 31; cites Biden statements

The HungHao

Aug'021:  WESTERN nations are unlikely to extend the evacuation window in Afghanistan to allow more citizens and Afghan nationals to fly out of Kabul, British defence minister Ben Wallace said on Tuesday.

Britain was reportedly pushing for an extension even though for that to happen the Taliban need to agree to it as well.
According to a Reuters report, Wallace cited US President Joe Biden's public statements as a reason for suggesting the evacuation window may not extend beyond August 31, which is when US troops are scheduled to withdraw from Afghanistan. 'Not only because of what the Taliban has said but also if you look at the public statements of President Biden, I think it is unlikely," Wallace told British broadcaster Sky News.

Biden had told reporters on August 22 he would not like to extend the timeframe for evacuation beyond month-end, but discussions on the same would be held. 'There's discussion going on among us and the military about extending,' he said, adding, 'Our hope is we will not have to extend, but there are going to be discussions, I suspect, on how far along we are in the process'.

A meeting of G7 leaders is scheduled to be held during the day where one of the key topics of discussion will revolve around extending the evacuation window in the war-torn nation following its takeover by the Islamic militant group that was overthrown by the US 20 years ago.

The G7 meeting will be attended by leaders of the UK, US, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, and Japan and chaired by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Biden's plan to complete evacuation by August 31 was hampered by the unexpected advance of the Taliban who took over Kabul on August 15 without minimal resistance from Afghan forces. American troops were expecting Kabul to hold strong for at least a month following the final withdrawal.

In recent weeks, Biden has come under pressure from his Western allies for over extension of the evacuation window beyond August 31. In a call to his American counterpart, French President Emmanuel Macron 'underscored the absolute need for swift, concrete coordination between the allies to ensure the evacuation of our citizens, Afghan men and women who worked for the allies, and those who are in danger', according to this office.

The Taliban have, however, cautioned that presence of US and its allies in Afghanistan beyond August 31 would invite 'consequences'.

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