Name? Joe Biden
Westphalian identity? US American
Age? 78
Why is he in the news? US Commander in Chief, Joe Biden, is planning for the US Military to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Biden is convinced that “a conditions-based approach, which has been the approach of the past two decades, is a recipe in staying in Afghanistan forever,” US officials said.
Why do we care? 20 years after the US led the NATO invasion of Afghanistan, this chapter is finally coming to a close; a chapter which cost the US more than two trillion US Dollars, 2400 soldiers’ lives and its reputation. It seems like these costs have become too high for Biden to prolong the US presence in Afghanistan.
Why should you care? Because everyone cares. Shortly after the news broke, the UK and Germany announced their departure from Afghanistan as well. Furthermore, we expect that all NATO allies will announce their departure after today’s NATO summit in Brussels. The end of a 20 year war, its impacts on Afghan society, and what this means for the country’s future should make you care 6/10.
Who else cares? Taliban’s spokesperson Mohammad Naeem. He stated that “until all foreign forces completely withdraw from our homeland, the Islamic Emirate will not participate in any conference that shall make decisions about Afghanistan.” Naeem is talking about a conference scheduled for April in Istanbul the Taliban were only going to attend if the US withdrew by May 1st, as agreed upon with President Trump.
Any further comments? Last May the Trump Administration signed an agreement with the Taliban stating that the US would withdraw by May 1st, 2021 and in exchange, the Taliban would cut ties with terrorist groups and halt their attacks on US troops. Biden missing the deadline is putting further negotiations between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban at risk, as well as the upholding of the 2020 agreement.
