According to CNN, President Joe Biden has decided to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan; the announcement is expected today.

This is because the problems that plague the country do not have any military solution. They are political, and Biden wants to focus on more pressing national security challenges. The pullout of troops could be prior to the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks. That was when two aircraft crashed into the Twin Towers and killed thousands of innocents.

CNN reports the revised schedule of Biden will be different from that of former President Donald Trump.

The Trump administration had set the date as May 1 after it reached an agreement with the Taliban. Biden wants to shift it by a few months. He discussed the matter with his advisers and arrived at a decision. An official added that NATO troops in Afghanistan might also adhere to the timeline of the United States. The official added that the US wants a peaceful withdrawal. It informed the Taliban that attacks on US troops during the process would face retaliation. The withdrawal of troops might not be a cakewalk. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump did make attempts, but the situation remains. In November 2019, Trump made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan to share Thanksgiving with US troops.

US troop pullout from Afghanistan

The issue of troop pullout from Afghanistan is a complicated matter. CNN mentions that senior military commanders feel US troops should be there in the country. Their argument is that premature withdrawal would carry with it the risk of a collapse of the Afghan government. In fact, there are fears that such an action could allow the Taliban to gain an advantage on the battlefield.

In August 2018, a suicide bomber in Afghanistan killed 63 persons at a wedding and injured many more.

An official says the deadline proposed by Biden was not based on any condition. Secretary of State Tony Blinken prepared the groundwork for Biden to announce about the withdrawal. It came after Blinken had a phone call with President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan.

Deployment of US troops in Afghanistan

CNN describes the status of American troops in Afghanistan. About 2,500 of them in the country and the US do not have any plan for total withdrawal. One group will remain to extend diplomatic security. Another aspect pertains to those troops who have links to the CIA, work on counter-terrorism missions, and are not a part of 2500. Their withdrawal would probably be another exercise. There has been a loss of more than 2,200 troops since 2001, with more than 20,000 wounded. The US wants to focus on diplomatic efforts to foster peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Former president George W Bush sent US troops to Afghanistan

According to Sky News, US troops came to Afghanistan two decades back.

The former president George W Bush sent them following the atrocities committed by the al-Qaeda terror group at New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in 2001. The former president intended to topple the Taliban regime, which had given shelter to the al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and his operatives. Subsequent presidents pursued the subject of withdrawal of these troops, but some remain in the country. President Biden has now decided that the withdrawal will be delayed until September 11. This happens to be the 20th anniversary of the al Qaeda terror attacks on America. US troops in Afghanistan were to checkmate extremist groups' efforts to establish a foothold to launch attacks against America.
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