The United States has begun officially withdrawing forces from Afghanistan, signaling the conclusion of what President Joe Biden has referred to as “the never-ending war.”
However, the withdrawal, which will last until September 11, comes amid rising unrest in Afghanistan, with Afghan security forces on high alert for retaliatory attacks.
The Taliban also confirmed that they are no longer bound by a cease-fire deal not to attack foreign forces.
Foreign forces were supposed to leave by 1 May under an agreement struck last year between the rebels and then-President Donald Trump, although the Taliban agreed to refrain from targeting international troops.
That has not stopped Taliban attacks on Afghan forces and civilians.
But US President Joe Biden last month some troops would stay on until 11 September this year, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, citing the security situation.
A Taliban spokesman said “this violation in principle has opened the way for [Taliban fighters] to take every counter-action it deems appropriate against the occupying forces.”
But he also said Taliban fighters would await instructions from leaders before mounting attacks. Some analysts suggested with a US deadline for withdrawal in place large-scale attacks could be averted.
Meanwhile the US faces the logistical challenge of packing up and leaving. The AP report the military has been taking inventory, deciding what will be shipped back and what will be sold as junk on Afghanistan’s markets.
On 11 September 2001, attacks in America killed nearly 3,000 people. Osama Bin Laden, the head of Islamist terror group al-Qaeda, was quickly identified as the man responsible.
The Taliban, radical Islamists who ran Afghanistan and protected Bin Laden, refused to hand him over.
As other countries joined the war, the Taliban were quickly removed from power. But they didn’t just disappear – their influence grew back and they dug in.
Since then, the US and its allies have struggled to stop Afghanistan’s government collapsing, and to end deadly attacks by the Taliban.
The withdrawal of US troops begins against a backdrop of fierce clashes between the Taliban and government forces, in the absence of a peace deal.
A flare up of violence in Ghazni province overnight left an unknown number of people dead.
And on Friday, a car bombing in Pul-e-Alam, Logar province, killed up to 30 people and wounded 110 – mostly school pupils.
