Fawzia Kofi, an Afghan member of parliament, watches as she attends a Kabul political gathering at a hall for weddings on September 26, 2013. SHAH MARAI/AFP via Getty Images
Fawzia Koofi, a peace negotiator for Afghanistan, said that delaying the US withdrawal from Afghanistan could have made all of the difference.
Koofi, Afghanistan’s first female deputy speaker, stated that the Biden administration should wait for a political solution before making any decisions.
She said that it is not sustainable or logical for the US for Afghanistan to remain, but she added that this was a very untimely decision for the US.
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The US could have avoided the chaos in Afghanistan if it had delayed its departure for just one month, Fawzia Kofi, a prominent Afghan peace negotiator, said to The Guardian on Thursday.
Koofi, the country’s first female deputy speaker, stated to the British newspaper that she had left the country before a final settlement could be reached.
"President Biden could delay this to wait for the political settlement - even for just a month, just get that political settlement first. She told The Guardian that they could have reached a deal.
Koofi said that Afghanistan is the victim of back to back mistakes.
Under the Trump administration, the US entered into a peace agreement with Taliban in February 2020. It pledged to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan within 14 months. The agreement included a clause that allowed the Taliban to begin negotiations with the US-backed Afghan government in order to reach a permanent ceasefire as well as a roadmap for political reform.
According to the BBC, historic peace talks were held in Qatar by the Taliban and Afghan government last September. They were the first ever between the Taliban and the US-backed Afghan government. According to the Voice of America, the Taliban had rejected negotiations in the past and called the government "puppets".
However, the sides could not reach an agreement. In April, US President Joe Biden declared that US troops would be leaving Afghanistan by September 11, which is the 20th anniversary since the attacks on 9/11.
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There are approximately 5,000 US troops stationed in Afghanistan at the moment. The majority of them have been assigned to manage evacuations at Hamid Karzai Airport, Kabul.
Koofi stated that all countries want the international forces to be withdrawn. She said, "It is not sustainable or logical to have a foreign power protecting your country. But this is so untimely that the US has chosen now, during negotiations and before we reach a settlement."
Koofi survived two assassination attempts. One in 2010, when she was attacked by Taliban, and another in August last year, when she was gunned down by unknown gunmen. She told the Guardian that she would continue to live in Afghanistan despite threats to her life.
"This is my country. I have experienced the ups, downs and joys of Afghanistan my entire life. It's not an option. I wouldn't trade the weather and the warmth of my family for any country anywhere in the world. She said, "I have given my blood for it."
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