US to pull troops out of Afghanistan by September 11

 

VOX President Joe Biden is set to announce Wednesday that the United States will pull troops from Afghanistan by September 11. The move pushes back the May 1 deadline agreed to last year by Donald Trump and the Taliban, and falls on the 20th anniversary of the 2001 attacks that brought the United States into the region under President George W. Bush. [Washington Post / Missy Ryan and Karen DeYoung] The Taliban had previously indicated that any American or NATO troops left in Afghanistan after the May 1 deadline would be subject to renewed attacks by their personnel. The US has warned that any Taliban attacks during the pullout phase would be met with “a forceful response,” according to a senior administration official. [BBC] During the presidential campaign, Biden pledged to bring all US combat troops back from Afghanistan by the end of his first term, leaving wiggle room to keep some troops in the region to conduct counterterrorism. But the administration now plans to bring back almost all troops this year. [Vox / Alex Ward] That’s a problem for some Republicans, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (SC), who called Biden’s decision not to maintain counterterrorism forces “dumber than dirt and devilishly dangerous.” He added, “I find it ironic that, given the sacrifices we've made to move Afghanistan forward ... that on the 20th anniversary of the attack we're paving the way for another attack." [The Hill / Jordan Williams] Though a small number of American troops will remain in Afghanistan for diplomatic security, some officials worry the power vacuum inherent from withdrawal will allow the Taliban to reconquer much of the country. Americans toppled the Taliban, which ruled Afghanistan in a repressive manner from 1996 to 2001, shortly after entering the country at the turn of the century, but have been mired in geopolitical conflict ever since. [CNN / Kevin Liptak, Jeremy Herb, Barbara Starr and Kylie Atwood]