(Belgium) US forces in Afghanistan would have been attacked by the Taliban had they stayed longer and delaying their departure wouldn’t have made much of a difference. With these arguments, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken defended himself in Parliament on Monday.
During a congressional hearing, lawmakers questioned Blinken about the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. The Taliban quickly seized power in the country last month, after which about 124,000 people were evacuated, many of them Americans. Several Republican politicians called for Blinken’s resignation during the five-hour session. “If twenty years and hundreds of billions of dollars in support, resources, and training are not enough, why should it be an additional year, five, or ten years?” Blinken told a House of Representatives committee. However, Blinken said there are lessons to be learned, including that the United States lacks the resources and ability to use military forces to rebuild society. The Secretary of State has placed most of the responsibility on the shoulders of former US President Donald Trump. “We inherited a deadline, not a plan,” Blinken said of Trump’s deal with the Taliban, in which he pledged the United States would withdraw its forces by the end of May. It was not possible to renegotiate because the Taliban threatened to kill Americans. US President Joe Biden managed to postpone the date until the end of August. According to Blinken, there are currently about 100 US citizens trapped in Afghanistan. They are in contact with American diplomats. (Belgium)
During a congressional hearing, lawmakers questioned Blinken about the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. The Taliban quickly seized power in the country last month, after which about 124,000 people were evacuated, many of them Americans. Several Republican politicians called for Blinken’s resignation during the five-hour session. “If twenty years and hundreds of billions of dollars in support, resources, and training are not enough, why should it be an additional year, five, or ten years?” Blinken told a House of Representatives committee. However, Blinken said there are lessons to be learned, including that the United States lacks the resources and ability to use military forces to rebuild society. The Secretary of State has placed most of the responsibility on former US President Donald Trump. “We inherited a deadline, not a plan,” Blinken said of Trump’s deal with the Taliban, in which he pledged the United States would withdraw its forces by the end of May. It was not possible to renegotiate because the Taliban threatened to kill Americans. US President Joe Biden managed to postpone the date until the end of August. According to Blinken, there are currently about 100 US citizens trapped in Afghanistan. They are in contact with American diplomats. (Belgium)
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