Biden: "It's time to end the longer war, US troops will leave Afghanistan"
Di Maio: we will leave Afghanistan from May 1st, but "we will never abandon the Afghan people"
Afghanistan, Italy retreats amid political controversy
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April 29, 2021 The withdrawal of US troops and NATO allies from Afghanistan has begun, as announced a few days ago by US President Joe Biden. This was announced by the White House, through spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre. "The withdrawal is underway," he said.
A NATO officer told the AFP news agency that "the NATO allies have decided to start the withdrawal of the Resolute Support Mission forces by May 1 and this withdrawal has begun. It will be an orderly and coordinated process".
The withdrawal of the 9,600 troops engaged in Afghanistan was decided after
Biden resolved to end Washington's longest war
. The decision - which delayed a deadline agreed by former US President Donald Trump by several months - came despite fears that the withdrawal could allow the Taliban to regain power in the country.
"Any Taliban attack during the withdrawal will be met with a forceful response. We plan to complete our withdrawal within a few months," the NATO official said, declining to provide further details on the timing.
Biden said the US withdrawal will be completed by 9/11, the twentieth anniversary of the 2001 attacks on America that triggered US and NATO military involvement in Afghanistan.
The German defense ministry said it planned to take its 1,300 troops out of the country by the beginning of July.