By Banafsha Binesh in ToloNews online, July 28, 2023
US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, at a hearing examining the Biden administration’s planning for the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan, said the idea of lowering the number of troops to 650 was “insane,” that “12,000 prisoners” including “suicide bombers” and “ISIS-K” were released from Bagram, and that “$7 billion of equipment” was left behind and is being sold to “our adversaries and to terrorist nations.
He also pointed out China’s possible access to Bagram, which was the main US base during its 20-year presence.
“This unconditional withdrawal, I call it unconditional surrender to the Taliban who now have taken over Afghanistan,” he said.
“China now is there for God’s sake, and the lithium,” he said. “China will probably get access to Bagram.”
Brian Mast, a US congressman, said that the withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan was a complete and total loss.
“This administration said time and time again that Afghanistan was not a war that could be won militarily– that is the administrations words. It could only be won diplomatically. If this could be won diplomatically, then there is no other conclusion, then the withdrawal was a complete and total lost,” he said.
This comes as political analysts gave various opinions in this regard.
“Whatever McCaul said is correct. The US created an Army in Afghanistan which could not be active without it (US). The Air Force was conducting all supporting operations and Biden several months before withdrawal, canceled the repair of the airforce’s aircraft,” said Torek Farhadi, a political analyst.
“The Americans say that Biden has undermined the reputation of the US by withdrawing from Afghanistan. It has caused the US to be mocked by the world,” said Wahid Faqiri, a political analyst.
The US ended its military presence after 20-years of fighting on August 30/31, 2021.
https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-184396
