White House 'can't make any guarantees' of Afghanistan's future after troop withdrawal

There’s ‘no guarantee’ of war-stricken Afghanistan’s future after the remaining over 2,500 US troops leave the Middle Eastern country, said top White House official on April 18 even as Washington stressed that it would continue to be focussed on the terrorist threats emanating from Kabul. White House National Adviser Jake Sullivan told Fox News in a televised interview that he can’t make any guarantees about what will happen inside Afghanistan when asked about the risk of a repeat of what happened in Iraq.

In Iraq, Islamic State militants had seized territory after the American troops withdrew in 2011. US President Joe Biden on Wednesday had announced that the US would withdraw its remaining troops from Afghanistan by September 11 which also marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks that started America’s longest war. In 2011, the attacks by the extremists had pushed former US President Barack Obama to sent troops back into Iraq. While answering questions on Fox News, Sullivan also said that Biden has no intention of sending US troops back to Afghanistan.

He said, “I can't make any guarantees about what will happen inside the country. No one can."

"All the United States could do is provide the Afghan security forces, the Afghan government and the Afghan people resources and capabilities, training and equipping their forces, providing assistance to their government. We have done that and now it is time for American troops to come home and the Afghan people to step up to defend their own country,” he added.

US Likely To Increase Number Of Soldiers In Afghanistan Before Withdrawal

The Pentagon said last week that the United States will likely increase its troop presence in Afghanistan temporarily before full withdrawal by September. As per the Associated Press report, Pentagon chief spokesperson John Kirby declined to provide further details about the government’s plan with its troops in Afghanistan but said that specifics are still being put in place. Kirby also said that it was logical to assume that logistics are required to help along with some engineering. So, he added, some addition to force protection would also contribute.

Image credits: AP