U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin made a surprise visit to the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, less than six weeks before the deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, Austin’s trip has raised concerns about the retention of U.S. troops.
AFP reported that Austin met with Afghan President Ghani and other top Afghan officials on Sunday. Austin’s surprise visit to Afghanistan comes as the Afghan peace process enters a critical moment, with the deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan approaching on May 1, when former U.S. President Donald Trump signed an agreement with the Afghan Taliban to set a deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
However, U.S. President Joe Biden said just days ago that it would be “difficult” to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by May 1, while the Taliban warned the U.S. against the delayed withdrawal plan.
Austin, after meeting with Afghan President Ghani, did not make any statement on the date of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, but only told the media that the decision (withdrawal) will be made by President Biden. Austin also tweeted that this was his first trip to Afghanistan since he was appointed defense secretary, and that he had come to “listen and learn.
Biden told ABC News on May 17 that the May 1 withdrawal deadline would be difficult to meet. The Taliban then warned that U.S. troops should not continue to be stationed in Afghanistan after the agreed withdrawal date.
Currently there are only 2,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
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