Time.news – Brussels – The withdrawal of the NATO contingents involved in the “Resolute support” mission in Afghanistan has begun in a “coordinated” way and with all the measures to guarantee security, said an Alliance official. “The withdrawal has begun. It will be an orderly, coordinated and planned process. The safety of our troops will be a top priority at every stage of the process, and we are taking all necessary steps to keep our personnel safe.”
The withdrawal of the 9,600 troops engaged in Afghanistan was decided after Biden made the appeal to end Washington’s longest war. The decision – which delayed a deadline agreed by former US President Donald Trump by several months – came despite fears that it could allow the Taliban to regain power in the country. “Any Taliban attack during the withdrawal will be met with a forceful response. We plan to complete our withdrawal within a few months,” the NATO official said, declining to provide further details on the timing. Biden said the US withdrawal will be completed by 9/11, the twentieth anniversary of the attacks to America on 9/11 which triggered its military involvement in Afghanistan. The German defense ministry said it planned to take its 1,300 troops out of the country by early July.
.