After the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan, the Islamist Taliban took power in the country – and are redesigning it according to their ideas. The most important developments in the news blog.
The German government is planning to end the military rescue flights from Afghanistan before the weekend. According to information from the German Press Agency, the last flight of the airlift for German citizens and local workers at risk could be organized on Friday. The government is responding to the US adherence to the August 31 withdrawal date. Initially, the business magazine Business Insider reported.
A defense ministry spokesman said he could neither deny nor confirm media reports. The day before, a total of 983 people had been flown out of Kabul on five flights, and 4654 since the airlift began.
The fact that the USA wants to pull out of Afghanistan at the end of the month will increase the pressure in Kabul, according to the head of the Bundeswehr Association. André Wüstner pointed out in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin” that other terrorist groups were also increasingly active in the capital that was taken over by the militant Islamic Taliban. You would certainly try to “draw attention to yourself again,” as he said.
The Europeans realized that they now had to prepare smaller units for the withdrawal. Of course, the Bundeswehr is also planning options for a quick withdrawal. She must now see that she is bringing out as many local German helpers with their relatives as possible via the airport and that the soldiers will come back safely. Then you have to see that you can bring people out overland, for example across the northern border. But: “We know that we can’t help everyone at the moment,” said Wüstner. “You will not be able to keep all promises.”
“We have to learn lessons from this fiasco,” demanded Wüstner, criticizing the dependence on the USA. Europe is not able to act. Without the USA in the back, “German politics, European politics, just observers of great and tragic events” https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/. “That means that in the next government you have to think about how to do it developed his own military options for action. And of course that also means finally turning words into deeds and empowering the military accordingly. ” (08/25/2021)
US military withdraws “several hundred” soldiers
The US military has said it has reduced its troop presence at Kabul Airport by “several hundred” soldiers. Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said that this was part of the normal decision-making power of the local commander during an ongoing operation. These include headquarters employees, maintenance specialists and other soldiers whose mission at the airport has been completed, he said. The US military last had around 5,800 soldiers there.
Kirby stressed that the routine withdrawal of some troops did not mark the beginning of the withdrawal of all soldiers from Afghanistan. This was not ordered at this point, he said. US President Joe Biden is sticking to the plan to withdraw the troops by August 31, next Tuesday. He has also asked the Pentagon and the State Department to propose alternative plans if they should become necessary. (08/25/2021)
Deadlines for taking on local staff extended
The German government has once again relaxed the conditions for accepting its former Afghan local staff. From now on everyone should be able to come to Germany who has been under contract with the armed forces or the federal ministries since 2013. A corresponding report from world confirmed the Ministry of Development and the Federal Foreign Office. Former employees of these two ministries could only submit an application if they had been employed there for the past two years. The Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior had already extended the deadline to 2013 in June.
How many local workers will be affected remains unclear. Up to the time the Taliban came to power, 1,100 Afghans were still working for the Development Ministry, but only a “middle two-digit number” for the Foreign Office.
The sponsorship network for Afghan local forces in the Bundeswehr had accused the federal government of “failing to provide assistance” in dealing with former employees in the crisis state. It is embittered to such an extent that “we cannot put it into words,” said chairman Marcus Grotian. He primarily blamed the Federal Chancellery. There you would have had the opportunity to bring together the different interests of the ministries, he said. The government headquarters did not respond to five letters from the network in June and July. (08/24/2021)
Merkel: Without the USA, the rescue flights cannot be extended
The heads of state and government of the leading western industrial nations (G7) met via video link to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. In these minutes, Chancellor Angela Merkel will appear in front of the cameras to make a statement.
It was a very important exchange, said Merkel. US President Joe Biden pointed out the worsening security situation. “Very, very close cooperation” between the G7 states and NATO allies is needed, said Merkel. Everyone helps everyone in this effort. The conference “did not reveal any new data” regarding the end of the rescue operation. The question of whether the airport can continue to be operated civilly has not yet been conclusively clarified. The US military currently has around 5800 soldiers at the airport in Kabul. A continuation of the rescue flights without US support is unthinkable. Merkel also emphasized that it would not be possible to continue the campaign without the USA. She also said that the G7 would want to stand up to the Taliban. The White House later also confirmed that it would stick to the planned end of the mission. However, Biden announced that he had asked the Defense Ministry and State Department for contingency plans in order to adjust the schedule if this should become necessary.
The focus of the federal government is on getting its own citizens out of the country. When asked whether the rescue mission could still be completed before September, Merkel said that these efforts would be continued. Germany must not expose its soldiers to any “unreasonable risk”. It was also about long-term issues, which, however, were not the focus of the talks, said Merkel. This includes, for example, the question of how the Taliban could have taken power so quickly. However, this would also have to be discussed later within the framework of NATO.
Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer had spoken out in favor of a rescue agreement with the Taliban for the time after the current Bundeswehr mission – regardless of how long it continues. This should ensure that even then former helpers from the Bundeswehr and federal ministries could be flown out who could not come to Kabul airport at all, said the CDU politician in Berlin. “We definitely need a solution and an agreement with the Taliban on the matter of safe conduct that goes beyond the actual evacuation mission.” So far, the Bundeswehr has flown around 3800 people from Afghanistan.
Taliban no longer want Afghans to leave the country
The Taliban are ruling out an extension of the rescue operation by international troops at Kabul airport. The agreed deadline expires on August 31, said Taliban spokesman Sabihullah Mujahid in Kabul at a press conference broadcast and translated by the BBC. An extension violates the agreements. At the same time, he announced that Afghans would no longer be allowed into the airport. “We will not allow them to leave the country.”
The US Department of Defense said there have been no changes to the plans to complete the rescue flights on August 31st. Critics complain that by then not all people threatened by the Taliban could be removed from the country. However, the Islamists have threatened consequences if foreign troops should stay in Afghanistan beyond August. A government representative told Reuters that US President Joe Biden followed recommendations from the US Department of Defense. The Ministry of Defense bases its advice on an analysis of the security situation.
Since the Taliban came to power just over a week ago, western countries have been bringing their nationals and other vulnerable people out of the country via Kabul Airport. Mujahid accused the USA of persuading well-educated Afghans to leave the country. He called on the population to stay. The country needs well-trained doctors and engineers, he said. At the same time, he announced that the Taliban want to reduce the crowd at the airport. There are too many people there, they could lose their lives. People should return to their homes and go about their daily lives.
As he did a week ago, the spokesman made extensive security promises to the population. International organizations could continue to work and women could also go about their work when the security situation has eased. No one is being followed and there is no list, said Mujahid. He was referring to reports that the Islamists are systematically looking for opponents and their relatives and threatening them.
Looking at the Pandjir Valley, the last province not controlled by the Taliban, Mujahid said the Taliban are seeking a negotiated solution. He was sure that control of the area would be restored without fighting. “We don’t want any more war in Afghanistan.” (08/24/2021)