Blinken dials Ashraf Ghani, talks of reducing US civilian footprint in Kabul amid crisis

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday informed that he spoke with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani regarding the current security situation in the country. Blinken also said that the two parties discussed the US plans to reduce America's civilian footprint in Kabul. The Secretary of State was joined by Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin during the meeting.

Along with the US plans to reduce America's civilian footprint in the region, Blinken also affirmed that his country is committed to supporting a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The Secretary of State claimed that the US is in for an enduring partnership with the Afghan people. "@SecDef and I spoke with @ashrafghani to discuss the current security situation and the US plans to reduce our civilian footprint in Kabul. I affirmed that the US is committed to supporting a diplomatic solution to the conflict and to our enduring partnership with the Afghan people," Blinken tweeted post the meeting. 

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price confirmed the talks with President Ghani and said that the country “remains invested in the security and stability of Afghanistan in the face of violence by the Taliban”. During the call, Blinken, Austin, and Ghani exchanged views on the security environment in Afghanistan and efforts to curb violence in the region. Meanwhile, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby in a briefing, informed that three infantry battalions will move to Kabul airport in the next 24-48 hours. The move comes after the embassy urged American citizens in the war-affected country to leave 'immediately'.

"It's their struggle": US Secretary of Defence on Afghanistan situation

Earlier, US Secretary of Defence for Public Affairs Joh Kirby had confirmed that the United States is staying firm on its decision to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. Kirby said the situation "is their (Afghanistan's) struggle," and the US President Joe Biden’s orders to pull out forces before the September 11 deadline is final. The confirmation was made after the Taliban's advances in the country increased marginally, adding to the fall of six provincial capitals to the militant organisation. Ghani had earlier indicated that the “sudden” US troop withdrawal has played a part in the current crisis. 

Afghan govt offers Taliban power-sharing deal to end fighting

In a bid to stop violence in the country, the Afghanistan government has now offered a 'power-sharing' deal to the Taliban. The offer, which was made at Doha where the two sides have been locked in largely fruitless 'peace talks' for months, comes after the Taliban took over the Ghazni province from Governor Daoud Laghmani and the national police. The bodyguards of the Governor were reportedly disarmed and escorted to Kabul based on the agreement between the two sides. As per reports, the Afghanistan government has submitted a proposal to Qatar as a mediator. The proposal by Kabul allows the Taliban to share power in return for a halt in violence in the country, which has escalated to a point where the government is being swiftly and systematically defeated and more and more territories are coming into the Taliban's control.  

(IMAGE: AP)