Category: withdrawal

Pentagon Posts Photo of Last Soldier Leaving Afghanistan

The Department of Defense on Aug. 30 released a photo of the last U.S. soldier to leave Afghanistan, capping off a frantic withdrawal and evacuation effort, and marking an end to America’s longest war. The photograph, posted on Twitter by the official account of the Department of Defense, shows Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, commanding general of…


NATO Allies Struggle to Keep Kabul Airport Open for Aid After Withdrawal

Geneva/Ankara—NATO allies are struggling to ensure that Afghanistan’s main gateway, Kabul airport, remains open for urgently needed humanitarian aid flights next week when they end their evacuation airlifts and turn it over to the Taliban. The airport, a lifeline for tens of thousands of evacuees fleeing Taliban terrorists in the past two weeks and for…


Bipartisan Lawmakers Say Aug. 31 Afghanistan Deadline Fueling ‘Chaos and Panic’

Bipartisan lawmakers with military backgrounds on Friday took part in a roundtable to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, urging the White House to extend their evacuation efforts beyond the Kabul airport, while arguing the Aug. 31 deadline was helping fuel the chaos on the ground. Four members of Congress who served in the military—Reps. Don…


Aug. 31 Afghanistan Deadline Fueling ‘Chaos and Panic,’ Bipartisan Lawmakers Say

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers with military backgrounds took part in a roundtable on Aug. 20 to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, urging the White House to extend its evacuation efforts beyond the Kabul airport, while arguing the Aug. 31 deadline is helping to fuel the chaos on the ground. Four members of Congress…


Biden Sending 5,000 Troops to Afghanistan to Help Drawdown of US Personnel

President Joe Biden announced Saturday that he is deploying more troops to Afghanistan to ensure that U.S. personnel can be evacuated safely. “Based on the recommendations of our diplomatic, military, and intelligence teams, I have authorized the deployment of approximately 5,000 U.S. troops to make sure we can have an orderly and safe drawdown of…


US Military Withdrawal From Afghanistan More Than 90 Percent Complete

The U.S. military said on Tuesday that it completed approximately more than 90 percent of its withdrawal from Afghanistan. In a statement, U.S. Central Command said that United States had officially handed over seven facilities to the Afghan ministry of defense. The Pentagon said last Friday that a final withdrawal will be completed by the…


Biden Calls on Afghans to ‘Decide Their Future’ as Withdrawal Nears End

WASHINGTON—U.S. President Joe Biden met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his former political foe, Abdullah Abdullah, on Friday at the White House where he called on Afghans to decide the future of their country as the last U.S. troops pack up after 20 years of war and government forces struggle to repel Taliban advances. Biden,…


US to Keep About 650 Troops in Afghanistan After Withdrawal

WASHINGTON—Roughly 650 U.S. troops are expected to remain in Afghanistan to provide security for diplomats after the main American military force completes its withdrawal, which is set to be largely done in the next two weeks, U.S. officials told The Associated Press. Moreover, several hundred additional American forces will remain at the Kabul airport, potentially…


Russia Follows US in Withdrawal From Open Skies Treaty

MOSCOW—Russia said on Friday that it will withdraw from an international treaty allowing surveillance flights over military facilities after the U.S. exit from the pact, compounding the challenges faced by the incoming administration of president-elect Joe Biden. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the U.S. withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty last year…