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15 minutes Less than a week ago, he also cited estimates from US military intelligence that Kabul could be surrounded by the Taliban within 30 days.
It wasn’t really necessary: the world watched in shock on Sunday as Taliban fighters proudly posed for the office of the Afghan president, who left the country in a hurry, and thousands of Afghans flooded the airport and tried to escape in evacuation planes.
VIDEO: Icy Images Of Afghanistan Are Spreading – People Are Desperately Trying To Leave
And the commander-in-chief of the United States, Gen. Mark Milley, revealed to the country’s senators on the same Sunday that the Pentagon is likely to reconsider previous assessments about the resumption of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.
VIDEO: Afghan President Ghani Acknowledges Taliban Victory: “Historic Challenge Ahead”
Trying to disprove the accusations
In June, the Pentagon leadership announced that extremist groups such as al Qaeda could resume their presence in Afghanistan and threaten the United States two years after the withdrawal of US troops.
The United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001 precisely because the Taliban refused to extradite or at least expel al Qaeda leaders, including Osama bin Laden.
Scanpix / AP Photo / Osama bin Laden
Two decades later, experts note that the Taliban and al Qaeda remain related organizations, and other extremist groups, such as the Islamic State, may find refuge in Afghanistan.
US intelligence is trying to counter accusations of not adequately assessing the capabilities of the Afghan army.
Now, as the situation changes so abruptly, US officials believe the terror group will start to raise its head sooner than previously thought. Now an attempt is being made to compile a new list of threats, ordered according to the probable time when the greatest threat will occur.
At the same time, US intelligence is trying to counter accusations of failing to properly assess the Afghan military’s capabilities and of making increasing mistakes about estimates of when Kabul might fall.
A senior intelligence officer emphasized that “a lightning-fast Taliban march has always been possible,” adding: “Ultimately, the Taliban faced little resistance. We have always made it clear that this is possible and that conditions tactics can change quickly. “
“Reuters” / “Scanpix” nuotr./Talibai Kabule
It is true that on July 8, the president of the United States, Joe Biden, had no doubts. Then he assured in a press conference: “The chances of the Taliban occupying everything and gaining ground in the country are very slim.”
It will be more difficult to control the situation.
Why did you go through the country? According to analysts, the fact that at the end of the term of the former president of the United States, Donald Trump, only 2.5 thousand people were already working in Afghanistan did not contribute to the accuracy of the intelligence tasks and assessments. American troops.
According to Robert Ashley, former head of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, this meant that Americans could not adequately assess how Afghan soldiers behave in crisis situations.
AFP / Scanpix photo / US soldier threatens man at Kabul airport with a gun
“It’s very difficult to assess the mood or determination of one or the other platoon, because you’re just not there anymore.” I wouldn’t be surprised if the Afghan leaders told us what we want to hear, not the truth, “Ashley said.
It will be more difficult to see whether the Taliban in Afghanistan will pose a threat to the internal security of the United States, for the same reason. After all, American troops are leaving and the Taliban have already taken control: intelligence in Afghanistan is working with the troops, and when they leave, it is much more difficult to gather information.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin accuses Afghan forces of not wanting to fight, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken points a finger at the Trump administration’s deadline for the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan .
“If the soldiers leave, and they did, it means that we will also leave. Of course, it will now be more difficult to collect intelligence,” said Marc Polymeropoulos, who has spent more than a quarter of a century on the Central Intelligence Board.
Chris Murphy, a Democrat representing the state of Connecticut in the United States Senate, believes that Washington will not be able to ignore intelligence and monitor the activities of terrorist groups once the evacuations are over.
Photo by Julius Kalinskas / 15min / Chris Murphy
“The Taliban have many reasons to respect the agreement with the United States and stay away from Al Qaeda. And our mission is to be in a position to monitor and verify the fulfillment of our commitments,” said Murphy.
Michael Waltz MEP, a former Republican who previously served in Afghanistan, is also critical of members of the Biden administration.
According to him, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin accuses the Afghan forces of not wanting to fight, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken points the finger at the deadline set by the Trump administration for the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.
“There is no discussion about how to move forward, just the firm belief that the homeland will be protected,” Waltz said.
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