The White House said that the US military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan would not be hasty and would be implemented in a safe and responsible manner. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the “Pentagon” had sent more reinforcements to countries neighboring Afghanistan to secure the withdrawal.

The White House added in a press briefing that "Washington's opponents must know that it will defend itself if it is attacked during the withdrawal from Afghanistan," and stressed that the withdrawal is underway and that everything will be completed by next September, as President Joe Biden said.

For his part, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the process of withdrawing his country's army from Afghanistan is proceeding according to the set plan.

Austin added, in a press conference held at the Pentagon headquarters in Washington, that the US military would start new bilateral relations with its security partners in Afghanistan to achieve what he described as common goals between the two sides.

On the same issue, the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, said that the United States had deployed more than 10 additional fighters to enhance the protection of its forces and coalition forces during the withdrawal process from Afghanistan.

Support the Afghan government

Milley added, during a press conference, that the reinforcements were also made with "F-18" fighters and "B-52" bombers stationed in Qatar, as well as the extension of the mission of the aircraft carrier "USS". USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.

He pointed out that the Taliban launched between 80 and 120 attacks on Afghan government targets daily, but since the start of the withdrawal on May 1, "there have been no attacks against American and coalition forces."

Milley said that amid widespread expectations that the Taliban might seize power from the government in the wake of the US withdrawal, he should not expect the Afghan forces to be demolished.

"The Afghan National Security Forces and the Afghan government at this time are still holding together," he added, stressing that "the President of the United States intends to support them."

He also indicated that Washington is in talks with the Afghan government on how to continue providing effective support to its air force, to be able to support government forces on the ground.

For his part, the regional spokesman for the US State Department, Christian James, confirmed that his country is currently focusing on withdrawing from Afghanistan due to its desire to invest its resources in other regions and files, such as facing the Corona pandemic and the challenges coming from China.

James said in an interview that Washington could respond to any violent incidents in Afghanistan.