China News Service, May 28. According to a report by Russian Satellite Network, US Secretary of Defense Austin stated on the 27th that the progress of the U.S. military's withdrawal from Afghanistan is slightly ahead of schedule.
According to reports, Austin said at a US Congress hearing on military spending in fiscal year 2022: “The withdrawal schedule is indeed slightly ahead.” However, he did not specify whether the Pentagon is expected to complete the withdrawal before the September 11 deadline.
At the meeting, Austin also said that the $715 billion budget proposed by the Department of Defense would include helping the military develop methods to prevent Afghan terrorist organizations from attacking the United States.
The US military commander said that after the US military withdraws, they will monitor and counter threats from Al-Qaida and the Islamic State (ISIS) outside Afghanistan.
On February 29, 2020, the Trump administration of the United States and the Taliban movement in Afghanistan signed a peace agreement in Qatar aimed at ending the war in Afghanistan.
The content of the agreement involves the reduction of US troops in Afghanistan, the withdrawal of foreign troops, the exchange of prisoners and the initiation of talks between parties in Afghanistan.
According to the agreement, the US and NATO forces should be withdrawn from Afghanistan within 14 months, that is, before May 1, 2021.
The current U.S. President Biden said after he took office that it would be difficult to withdraw troops completely before the deadline.
Biden later announced on April 13, 2021 that all U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan before September 11 of the same year, and said that he would fully coordinate the withdrawal of troops with allies and partner countries.
The Taliban have stated that the non-hostile action clause stipulated in the peace agreement will expire on May 1 when the time limit for the withdrawal of foreign troops expires.