ISLAMABAD: The Afghan National Security Council said on Saturday that the reduction of US forces in the country has no major impact on the security situation, as Washington announced it had met its goal of decreasing the number of troops to 2,500.
The Pentagon confirmed the reduction of US troops on Friday as in accordance with President Donald Trump administration’s November pledge to sharply cut the number of US forces in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500 by mid-January.
The troop reduction means the lowest level of American forces in Afghanistan since 2001, when the US invaded the country and ousted the Taliban who were ruling Afghanistan from 1996.
“Reduction or increase of the American forces do not have any major negative impact on the fighting situation in Afghanistan,” Maulvi Rahmatullah, spokesman for the Afghan National Security Council said in a video response to the Pentagon announcement.
However, Afghanistan’s vice president, Amrullah Saleh, in a BBC interview on Friday said that the “pullout risks more violence in the unstable country.”
He added that the American mission, which began 20 years ago, is not yet accomplished and that the US had made a mistake by conceding too much to the Taliban.
The Taliban, meanwhile, have welcomed the US move, describing it as an important step toward the implementation of a historic deal signed by the group and Washington in Doha, Qatar, in February last year, under which all US-led troops would leave Afghanistan within 14 months.
“We consider the decision as a good and effective step toward the implementation of the Doha agreement. We, the Islamic Emirate, are also committed to all sections of the Doha agreement,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Arab News on Saturday.
He said the Taliban hope that the Doha agreement would be fully implemented and all American forces would leave Afghanistan as per the agreed timeframe.
“We consider withdrawal of the troops and leaving Afghan soil as a positive step for the people of the US and Afghans and welcome it,” Mujahid said.
While acting US Defense Secretary Chris Miller said on Friday that the US is planning “further reducing US troop levels to zero by May of 2021,” he added that “any such future drawdowns remain conditions-based.”
As the Trump administration is going to end its term when President-elect Joe Biden takes office on Wednesday, there have been few clues on what the new US government plans are for Afghanistan.
