Topline
After the Taliban's critical victories Saturday, President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. will increase the number of troops it sends to Afghanistan to help with the evacuation of its embassy by 1,000 more. This is in response to the weakness of the Western-backed government of Kabul.
American soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division deployed to fight Taliban fighters in... [+] Operation Mountain Thrust, June 22, 2006, Zabul province. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images). Getty Images
The Key Facts
Biden stated that he made the decision to send more troops after consulting military, diplomatic, and intelligence teams. They will be used to ensure "an orderly and safe drawdown U.S. personnel as well as other allied personnel". Defense One reports that an additional 1,000 troops of the 82nd Airborne Division will be sent to Kabul. Meanwhile, 3,000 U.S. troops will arrive this weekend to assist in the evacuation of the embassy. This is in addition to the less than 1,000 troops still on the ground at Afghanistan. According to Defense One, all U.S. troops will leave Afghanistan by the end the month. The Biden administration plans to complete the withdrawal from Kabul's embassy. This is in response to concerns that the Taliban could soon seize control of Kabul. The U.S. will use troops to assist Afghans who have aided it in its 20-year war with insurgents to flee Afghanistan. Biden also announced that Ambassador Tracey Jacobson would be responsible for the relocation of Afghans who assisted the U.S. military. Biden stated that if the Taliban attempts to interfere with the U.S. withdrawal, there will be a strong and swift U.S. military reaction.
Important Quote
Biden stated that "One more year or five years of U.S. military involvement would not have made any difference if the Afghan army cannot or won't hold its own country." "And an interminable American presence in another country's civil conflict was unacceptable to me."
What to Watch
The Taliban have been seizing Afghan cities and territories faster than anticipated. U.S. intelligence officials previously predicted that the Taliban could totally isolate Kabul within 30 days. The capital would then be under Taliban control in 90 days.
Important Background
On Saturday, the Taliban wreaked havoc on the Afghan government, capturing Mazar-e-Sharif (the country's fourth-largest) and a capital in a province to the northwest. According to reports, the Taliban is now capturing cities with relative ease while government troops and militias give up with little fighting. The Taliban have taken control of three of the four largest Afghan cities, Mazar-e-Sharif.
Continue reading
Taliban Take Control of Key Northern City as Insurgents Near Kabul (Forbes).
U.S. Intelligence Warnings: Kabul Could Fall to The Taliban in 90 Days (Forbes).
According to Forbes, The White House Is Preparing To Withdraw Completely From U.S Embassy In Afghanistan
