(Photo : HOSHANG HASHIMI/AFP via Getty Images)
AFGHANISTAN-CONFLICT
Afghan militia gather with their weapons to support Afghanistan security forces against the Taliban, in Afghan warlord and former Mujahideen leader Ismail Khan's house in Herat on July 9, 2021. (Photo by Hoshang HASHIMI / AFP)
Taliban leaders have threatened the US and UK with "consequences." In Doha if the evacuation of western forces from Afghanistan is delayed, a Taliban spokesperson warned the US and its allies against staying in Afghanistan over the August 31 deadline.
Amid a frantic humanitarian effort to rescue Afghans from the Taliban's fundamentalist rule, British soldiers have been assisting the US and other NATO partners in protecting Kabul Airport. Dr. Suhail Shaheen, speaking with Sky News, delivered a terrifying warning to President Joe Biden, claiming that a sustained US presence will have "consequences."
Taliban group expects US, UK to abide by the withdrawal deadline
According to Shaheen, the extension would give the Taliban the impression that the US was extending occupation in Afghanistan. He said there was no need for soldiers to stay in Afghanistan beyond the end of the month, and that doing so would degrade ties and generate mistrust between the US and the Taliban.
He dismissed allegations of Taliban members going door to door hunting journalists, former government employees, and schoolgirls as "false." Despite the "bloodshed and damage," Shaheen said US troops and western forces spending two decades in Afghanistan will be part of their history as the group looks to the future, Sky News reported.
Taliban leaders ordered British paratroopers out of Afghanistan in a week or risk re-entering the conflict. The insurgents warned that any delay would jeopardize the tenuous cease-fire at Kabul Airport, saying, "It's our red line."
It occurred as UK's Defense Secretary Ben Wallace acknowledged that the airlift of 7,000 British and Afghan soldiers had been reduced to "hours, not weeks." Prime Minister Boris Johnson will use today's G7 meeting to press US President Joe Biden to extend the August 31 deadline to evacuate as many people as possible.
They spoke by phone Friday night and agreed that dealing with the Taliban requires a common strategy from the West. If Biden refuses to prolong the mission, the next seven days will be spent airlifting troops out of Kabul rather than refugees, as per The Sun.
Biden vows to pull out US and allies in Afghanistan
Defense chiefs are rushing against the clock to free all those who are frantically attempting to leave. With three C-17s, three A400 Atlases, and two C-130 Hercules flying in and out of Kabul every day, every available RAF transport plane has been diverted to help the airlift.
Meanwhile, Biden spoke on the Afghan situation again on Sunday, saying that any penalties against the Taliban are contingent on their behavior. The Taliban who have assumed control of Afghanistan have promised good behavior; nevertheless, the US administration has not ruled out the potential of sanctions against the Taliban, according to Biden.
Speaking from the White House he stated that if such a circumstance arises, the appropriate consequences would be imposed against the group. Furthermore, in response to the Taliban's promise, he stated that the group has not caused any interruption in the evacuation process yet and is adhering to their word.
Per Republic World, any attacks against US soldiers, on the other hand, will force the government to approve sanctions. Earlier, US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jack Sullivan stated that if the Taliban tries to obstruct or interfere with the evacuation process, they would be met with a strong and swift reaction from the government.
Since the Taliban took control of the country, the US and other nations have attempted to evacuate their people and officials. Biden has previously described the evacuation as the most challenging and biggest airlift in history.
Nonetheless, he promised to pull all Americans and allies out of the country, seeking to put an end to the Afghan mission for good. Since August 14, about 25,100 people have been evacuated. In addition, the White House announced on Sunday that 30,000 people had been evacuated since the end of July.
Related Article: PHOTOS: Troops in Desperate Situation, Helping People in Kabul Airport as Evacuees Struggle to Escape Chaos in Afghanistan
