US urges Americans to leave Afghanistan as Taliban gain traction

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Afghanistan Updates

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The US embassy in Kabul has warned that US citizens should leave Afghanistan “immediately” after Taliban insurgents seized a key provincial capital in a campaign of growing violence.

The warning, issued on Saturday, comes as the Taliban have made a string of gains across the country following the Biden administration’s decision to withdraw remaining US forces before a self-imposed deadline at the end of this month. .

“The order of departure of US citizens is an indication of the deteriorating security situation,” a US defense official told the Financial Times.

The Biden administration made a final push to secure a negotiated political settlement that would give the Taliban a role in government rather than pursuing their advantage on the battlefield, but to little effect.

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U.S. diplomats have urged the Taliban to start talks or risk becoming an international pariah, but the group’s military campaign has escalated.

The US embassy said on Saturday that the Taliban’s new violent offensive against Afghan cities resulted in the capture of Zaranj, capital of Nimroz province, and it was reported that the group had also captured Sheberghan, capital of Nimroz province. Jowzjan. He also continues his efforts to capture Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province, and other provincial capitals.

“These actions by the Taliban to forcefully impose their rule are unacceptable and contradict their claim to support a negotiated settlement in the Doha peace process,” the statement said.

US forces carried out airstrikes in an attempt to deter the Taliban and boost the morale of the Afghan national security forces, but the US defense official said the strikes were only “a handful” a day.

Analysts warn of the prospect of a protracted civil war, an imminent break-up of the country or the possibility of the Taliban invading Kabul.

On Friday, Deborah Lyons, the UN special representative for Afghanistan, said the Taliban began attacking major cities after making gains in her rural countryside in June and July, saying at least 104 civilians had been killed and 403 wounded in Lashkar Gah since the Taliban began its attack on the city 10 days earlier.

Insurgents also claimed responsibility for a deadly attack this week in Kabul that targeted the defense minister, who was not present. On Monday, the UN Security Council said deliberate attacks on civilians, UN personnel and UN premises by the Taliban could constitute war crimes.

Joe Biden ordered the withdrawal of American troops in an effort to end the United States’ longest war, confirming the deal the Trump administration made with the Taliban which provided for the withdrawal of the United States.

The two presidents took the move against the advice of some US defense and military officials, who warned that the troop withdrawal risked emboldening the Taliban and undermining fragile gains in Afghanistan.

The Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in the late 1990s. They were overthrown by an American invasion in response to the September 11 attacks, which were carried out by al-Qaeda, a jihadist group that has established links with the Taliban Islamist militancy.

The U.S. Embassy warning said it could provide a repatriation loan to U.S. citizens who could not afford to purchase a return ticket, adding that the security conditions and the reduction in the staff meant that the embassy’s ability to assist US citizens in Afghanistan was “extremely limited, even in Kabul.” .

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