WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani discussed winding down of the Resolute Support Mission and with that the transition to a new relationship with Afghanistan and with the Afghan forces.
Both sides reaffirmed the importance of ensuring that Afghanistan never again serves as a safe haven for terrorists.
On Friday, a seemingly confident Mr Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of Afghanistan‘s High Council for National Reconciliation met with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon.
He smiled when asked about reported U.S. intelligence estimates that the radical Islamist Taliban insurgency may be back in charge in Kabul within six months after US and foreign troops leave in September.
There have been many such predictions and they have all turned out false,” Mr. Ghani said as reporters were hustled out of the conference room. The United States remains committed to continuing to provide critical security assistance to the Afghan national defense and security forces,” Mr Austin said. “I am confident that as [Operation] Resolute Support begins to wind down, we will make the transition to a new relationship with Afghanistan and the Afghan forces.”
