The Chief Executive of National Unity Government Abdullah Abdullah said the partial withdrawal of foreign forces will not be the end of the world for Afghanistan.
Speaking to a group of reporters in Kabul on Monday, Abdullah said the presence of US forces in Afghanistan and their cooperation with Afghanistan has become one of the main topics locally, regionally, and internationally.
Abdullah further added that Washington’s South Asia policy regarding the presence of US forces, circumstances surrounding their cooperation and support are based on conditions.
He also added that no negotiations have been held regarding the permanent US bases in Afghanistan and no such agreement exists but commitments exist based on cooperation to cope with the joint threats against peace, regional affairs and countries.
Emphasizing that the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) are in charge of the majority of security related issues, Abdullah said the partial drawdown of international troops would not mean an end to international community’s commitments to Afghanistan, insisting that even such discussions have not been held.
Abdullah, however, said there is a possibility that the number of foreign forces will decline but no such instructions have been given so far.
The Chief Executive also added that the foreign forces will leave Afghanistan one day, and it is up to Afghans to prepare themselves for such a scenario and the government should stand on its own feet with the support of Afghan people.
Meanwhile, Abdullah said cooperation should continue to exist since it will be in the interest of the United States, international community and regional peace and stability.
This comes as US President Donald Trump has said he will leave intelligence in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US forces from the country.
In an interview with CBS News, President Trump said “We’ve been there for 19 years, almost, we are fighting very well. We’re fighting harder than ever before. And I think that they will- I think they’re tired and, I think everybody’s tired. We got to get out of these endless wars and bring our folks back home.”
However, he said “Now, that doesn’t mean we’re not going to be watching with intelligence. We’re going to be watching, and watching closely.”
Trump also added that “And I’ll leave intelligence there. Real intelligence, by the way. I’ll leave intelligence there and if I see nests forming, I’ll do something about it.”
President Trump had earlier vowed to bring American troops home if a peace deal was reached with the Taliban to end the war in Afghanistan.
