US reckons Afghanistan's future, Pentagon plans to monitor war-torn country beyond borders

The US military and NATO forces have pledged to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan by September 11 however they have begun their final withdrawal from the country, after 20 years of war. As the United States continue to withdraw from Afghanistan, US officials are divided over the plan of action to monitor the war-torn country from beyond its borders, and some are even speculating that complete retreat from Afghanistan will make it tough for the US to provide effective support to Afghan forces. 

The US military is currently conducting retrograde operations to leave Afghanistan. US military personnel and equipment are scheduled to be shipped back by September 11 deadline. In their testimonies before the US Senate on Thursday, the Pentagon officials noted the US was able to monitor insurgent groups in Afghanistan without having a military presence in the country, Tolo News reported. 

Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs for the Middle East, Brig. Gen. Matthew G. Trollinger said, "We have the capabilities to be able to posture in the region where it is required. We have the capabilities to be able to monitor potential adversaries, track these adversaries and then strike when conditions permit."

"Afghan Security Forces are a capable force": Pentagon 

A Pentagon release on Thursday said that after the US withdrawal, any number of possibilities might arise, including a takeover of the country by the Taliban or a defeat of the Taliban by the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. 

Matthew G. Trollinger said, "I will acknowledge the range of potential outcomes in the months as we go forward." He added, "I will say the ANDSF (Afghan Security Forces)- they're a capable force. They have capable ground, air and special operations forces, and here, very recently, they have effectively both defended against Taliban attacks as well as gone on the offensive to disrupt Taliban activities."

During the Senate hearing, Senator Jim Inhofe said a full drawdown from Afghanistan will make it much harder and more expensive to effectively support our Afghan Security Forces. 

He said, "A complete withdrawal of US troops will make it much harder and more expensive to effectively support our Afghan security partners."

Meanwhile, David Helvey, the acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, said the US has a moral obligation to help those that have helped them over the two-decade war. 

Violence has intensified in Afghanistan since the United States missed a May 1 deadline, agreed with the Taliban last year, to withdraw its troops. While the Taliban avoided engaging US troops, they have furiously attacked Afghan government forces in the recent past.